Abstract
Life-history theory in plants has an important role in the development of many fields in evolutionary biology.The theory deals specifically with assumptions relating to the trade-off between reproductive and vegetative processes.Research on trade-offs has largely focused on dioecious species and the differences between sexes regarding patterns of resource allocation.In this research,the reproductive allocation was studied and specific assumptions were tested regarding the trade-off between reproductive and vegetative processes in the dioecious species Rhamnus davurica.Assuming automomy of different modular levels of plant physiology,we observed the reproductive allocation at branch level,shrub level and population level,respectively.The main results are:(1) at branch level,reproductive biomass shows significant difference between males and females(P0.001).The flower biomass is also significantly different between the sexes(P0.001).However,there is no significant difference in foliage biomass between the sexes(P0.05).The flower,foliage and reproduction biomass(the sum of flower and fruit biomass) also showed significant differences among individuals(P0.001).The mean biomass value of the female flowers is 1.84 times greater than that of the male flowers.The mean biomass value of female reproduction(the sum of flower and fruit biomass) is 16 times greater than that of the male reproduction(male flower biomass).The mean biomass value of the male foliage is greater than that of the females,though this difference is not significant.(2) at shrub level,the flower biomass,reproductive biomass(including flower and fruit biomass) and the diameter increment was significantly different between sexes(P0.05),but there was no significant difference between sexes regarding the foliage biomass(P0.05).An analysis of variance shows that DBH size is positively correlated with flower biomass,reproductive biomass,foliage biomass and diameter increment(P0.05).The average value of flower biomass of females is 1.6 times greater than that of the males.The average reproductive biomass of females(the sum of flower biomass and fruit biomass) is 1.93 times greater than that of the males and their average foliage biomass is 1.1 times greater than that of the males.The average female diameter increment is 3.04 greater than that of the males.(3) at population level,male and female trees show differences in phenology.Male trees bloom earlier than female trees.The first male blooming was observed on 25 May,the first female blooming on 28 May.Female trees began to fruit on 8 June.In our 360m×660m research plot,there were 310 female and 53 male trees and 225 non-reproductive trees in 2010.The population sex ratio of 0.17 deviated significantly from 1 ∶ 1,based on a Chi-square test(P0.001).The individuals in 0—2 cm,2—4 cm,4—6 cm and 6—8 cm DBH classes also exhibited female-biased sex ratios.The average annual ring widths of males and females were 0.78 mm and 0.83mm,respectively.Based on these results,we conclude that the relationship between vegetative growth and reproductive growth does not agree with trade-off theory at different levels of plant physiology(branch,shrub and population level) in Rhamnus davurica.It may be assumed that higher reproductive and vegetative growth of females might be due to their more effective photosynthetic rates.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Branch reproductive biomass differed significantly by sex.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davurica
Rhamnus davuricat0 - Organ / stage
- branch levele0
- Outcome
- reproductive biomasse0
- Comparator
- males and femalese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“at branch level,reproductive biomass shows significant difference between males and females(P0.001)”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Branch flower biomass differed significantly by sex.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- flower biomasse0
- Comparator
- the sexese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The flower biomass is also significantly different between the sexes(P0.001)”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Branch foliage biomass did not differ significantly by sex.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- foliage biomasse0
- Comparator
- the sexese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there is no significant difference in foliage biomass between the sexes(P0.05)”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Flower, foliage and reproduction biomass differed significantly among individuals.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- flower,foliage and reproduction biomasse0
- Comparator
- individualse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The flower,foliage and reproduction biomass(the sum of flower and fruit biomass) also showed significant differences among individuals(P0.001)”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean female flower biomass was 1.84 times male flower biomass.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- biomass value of the female flowerse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 1.84 timese0
- Comparator
- male flowerse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The mean biomass value of the female flowers is 1.84 times greater than that of the male flowers”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean female reproduction biomass was 16 times male reproduction biomass.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- biomass value of female reproductione0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 16 timese0
- Comparator
- male reproductione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The mean biomass value of female reproduction(the sum of flower and fruit biomass) is 16 times greater than that of the male reproduction(male flower biomass)”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Male foliage biomass exceeded female foliage biomass without a significant difference.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- biomass value of the male foliagee0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- femalese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The mean biomass value of the male foliage is greater than that of the females,though this difference is not significant”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Shrub flower and reproductive biomass and diameter increment differed significantly by sex.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Organ / stage
- shrub levele0
- Outcome
- flower biomass,reproductive biomass(including flower and fruit biomass) and the diameter incremente0
- Comparator
- sexese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“at shrub level,the flower biomass,reproductive biomass(including flower and fruit biomass) and the diameter increment was significantly different between sexes(P0.05)”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Shrub foliage biomass did not differ significantly by sex.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- foliage biomasse0
- Comparator
- sexese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there was no significant difference between sexes regarding the foliage biomass(P0.05)”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
DBH size correlated positively with flower and reproductive and foliage biomass and diameter increment.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- flower biomass,reproductive biomass,foliage biomass and diameter incremente0
- Direction
- positively correlatede0
- Comparator
- DBH sizee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“DBH size is positively correlated with flower biomass,reproductive biomass,foliage biomass and diameter increment(P0.05)”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Female shrub flower biomass was 1.6 times male biomass.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- flower biomass of femalese0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 1.6 timese0
- Comparator
- malese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The average value of flower biomass of females is 1.6 times greater than that of the males”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Female shrub reproductive biomass was 1.93 times male biomass.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- reproductive biomass of femalese0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 1.93 timese0
- Comparator
- malese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The average reproductive biomass of females(the sum of flower biomass and fruit biomass) is 1.93 times greater than that of the males”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Female shrub foliage biomass was 1.1 times male biomass.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- foliage biomasse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 1.1 timese0
- Comparator
- malese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“their average foliage biomass is 1.1 times greater than that of the males”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Female diameter increment exceeded male diameter increment by 3.04.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- female diameter incremente0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 3.04e0
- Comparator
- malese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The average female diameter increment is 3.04 greater than that of the males”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Males began flowering earlier than females, on 25 May versus 28 May.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- Male trees bloome0
- Direction
- earliere0
- Value
- 25 Maye0
- Qualifier
- 28 Maye0
- Comparator
- female treese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Male trees bloom earlier than female trees.The first male blooming was observed on 25 May,the first female blooming on 28 May”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Females began fruiting on 8 June.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Organ / stage
- Female treese0
- Outcome
- began to fruite0
- Value
- 8 Junee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Female trees began to fruit on 8 June”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
The plot contained 310 female, 53 male and 225 non-reproductive trees in 2010.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- female and 53 male trees and 225 non-reproductive treese0
- Value
- 310 female and 53 male trees and 225 non-reproductive treese0
- Qualifier
- 2010e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there were 310 female and 53 male trees and 225 non-reproductive trees in 2010”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
The population sex ratio of 0.17 significantly deviated from 1:1.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- population sex ratioe0
- Direction
- deviatede0
- Value
- 0.17e0
- Comparator
- 1 ∶ 1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The population sex ratio of 0.17 deviated significantly from 1 ∶ 1,based on a Chi-square test(P0.001)”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
The 0–2, 2–4, 4–6 and 6–8 cm DBH classes had female-biased sex ratios.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- female-biased sex ratiose0
- Qualifier
- 0—2 cm,2—4 cm,4—6 cm and 6—8 cm DBH classese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The individuals in 0—2 cm,2—4 cm,4—6 cm and 6—8 cm DBH classes also exhibited female-biased sex ratios”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean annual ring widths were 0.78 mm for males and 0.83mm for females; authors concluded growth allocation did not follow trade-off theory.
- Taxon
- Rhamnus davuricaRhamnus davuricat0
- Outcome
- average annual ring widthse0
- Value
- 0.78 mme0
- Qualifier
- 0.83mme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The average annual ring widths of males and females were 0.78 mm and 0.83mm,respectively”
t0“Rhamnus davurica”