THE EFFECT OF INVESTMENT IN ATTRACTIVE STRUCTURES ON ALLOCATION TO MALE AND FEMALE FUNCTIONS IN PLANTS

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Plant reproductive strategies
• Population genetics

Background:

• Cosexual plants balance resource allocation between male and female functions, alongside pollinator attraction.
• Resource limitation during fruit maturation impacts overall female fertility and seed production.

Purpose of the Study:

• Derive fitness expressions for partially self-fertilizing cosexual plants.
• Calculate evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) allocations for reproductive functions and attraction.
• Assess the likelihood of unisexual mutant invasion in cosexual populations.

Main Methods:

• Mathematical modeling of plant fitness.
• Calculation of ESS allocations to male, female, and attraction traits.
• Analysis of unisexual mutant invasion dynamics under varying conditions.

Main Results:

• Female mutant spread is unlikely without high inbreeding depression and selfing rates.
• Resource allocation to pollinator attraction influences female invasion potential.
• The relationship between fertilized ovules and mature seeds affects female invasion success.

Conclusions:

• Male mutants are unlikely to invade cosexual populations in these models.
• Environmental factors like inbreeding depression and selfing rates are critical for understanding the evolution of plant mating systems.
• The study provides insights into the distribution of dioecy (separate sexes) in plants.