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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
08:16
Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
Published on: March 13, 2014
Do plant parts compete for resources? An evolutionary viewpoint.
Victor O Sadras1, R Ford Denison2
1South Australian Research and Development Institute, Waite Campus, GPO Box 397, Adelaide 5001, Australia.
The New Phytologist
|May 6, 2009
Summary
Plants may use competition-like mechanisms for resource allocation, but only if it enhances overall fitness. Genomic conflicts, particularly between parent and offspring, shape these mechanisms, with maternal control favoring uniform offspring size.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Plant Physiology
Background:
- Intra-plant resource allocation is often described as competition.
- Evolutionary biology provides frameworks to understand intra-plant dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary justification of intra-plant competition.
- To explore the role of major evolutionary transitions and genomic conflicts in resource allocation.
Main Methods:
- Review of evolutionary biology principles.
- Analysis of apparent competition among plant parts (genetically identical and different).
- Examination of genomic conflicts and maternal control in resource allocation.
Main Results:
- Plants may employ competition-like mechanisms for resource allocation if they boost fitness.
- Genomic conflicts, especially maternal control over seed development, influence resource partitioning.
- Maternal control favors uniform offspring size, counteracting genomic conflicts.
Conclusions:
- Intra-plant competition is evolutionarily justified when it enhances plant fitness.
- Genomic conflicts significantly shape competition-like resource allocation strategies.
- Maternal control mechanisms are crucial for optimizing offspring development and resource distribution.
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