Propagule size and seed development duration: high photosynthate allocation and growth allometry
Shunli Yu1, Danfeng Li2,3, Canran Liu4
1State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Changes, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China. shunliyu@ibcas.ac.cn.
Planta
|March 5, 2022
Summary
Propagule mass variation is linked to seed development duration and fruit pedicel area. These factors, along with leaf area, significantly influence plant trait structure and function across many species.
Area of Science:
- Plant Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Trait Evolution
Background:
- Propagule (seed and fruit) mass variation is a key plant trait but its underlying mechanisms remain debated.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for plant life history strategy and biomass allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate correlations between propagule mass and various biotic factors including seed development duration, fruit pedicel cross-sectional area, life form, fruit type, and leaf area.
- To test hypotheses regarding propagule biomass allocation and the role of allometry in large-seeded species evolution.
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic generalized linear models were used to analyze data from 491 species in the Beijing Botanical Garden.
- Correlations were examined over four census years, considering 91 families and 320 genera.
Main Results:
- Significant positive relationships were found between propagule mass and seed development duration, leaf area, and pedicel cross-sectional area across most species and life forms.
- Seed development duration was more consistently linked to seed mass variation, while pedicel cross-sectional area was more associated with fruit weight variation.
Conclusions:
- Biotic factors, particularly seed development duration and pedicel cross-sectional area, are key mediators of propagule size variation.
- Results support the hypothesis that large-seeded species evolve due to high photosynthate availability and plant body allometry.
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