Abstract
Clonal plants can maximize their performance by selectively placing ramets in the environment and exchanging resources between ramets that remain physiologically connected. This ability allows clonal plants to rapidly colonize space, to maximize the number of ramets in high resource areas, and to exchange complementary resources between ramets in heterogeneous environments. Here, I test whether this ability may also allow clones of Fragaria virginiana [Rosaceae] to ameliorate the negative effects of herbivory. I used computer simulations, field observations of the effects of herbivory, and a series of field and greenhouse experiments in which I varied the number of intact stolons and defoliated different ramets. I measured the costs and benefits of clonality for the total clone as well as individual ramets. The computer simulation predicted that more highly integrated clones always outperform less integrated clones, regardless of the intensity of herbivory. Field observations showed that the intensity of herbivory varies in intensity over the season but has few effects on clonal performance or expansion. In one greenhouse experiment the number of unrooted ramets supported by an older ramet had no effect on either the older ramet's ability to recover from herbivory or total clone performance. In a second greenhouse experiment, connected clones were able to recover from defoliation faster and better than clones that had connections between ramets severed. In contrast, in the field there was no difference in regrowth after defoliation or clonal expansion between connected and severed clones. I hypothesize that active connections between ramets did not benefit plants in the field because the environment was too uniformly harsh (due to drought conditions), negating any advantage of resource sharing. Studies show that clonal resource sharing is advantageous in heterogeneous environments. Overall, my results show that clonality can ameliorate the negative effects of herbivory, but the costs and benefits are conditional upon the environment.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Simulated clones with more highly integrated ramets always outperformed less integrated clones, regardless of herbivory intensity.
- Taxon
- Fragaria virginiana
Fragaria virginianae0 - Material
- more highly integrated clonese1
- Outcome
- outperforme1
- Direction
- always outperforme1
- Qualifier
- regardless of the intensity of herbivorye1
- Comparator
- less integrated clonese1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“clones of Fragaria virginiana [Rosaceae]”
e1“The computer simulation predicted that more highly integrated clones always outperform less integrated clones, regardless of the intensity of herbivory”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbivory intensity had few effects on clonal performance or expansion in the field.
- Taxon
- Fragaria virginianaFragaria virginianae0
- Treatment
- intensity of herbivorye2
- Outcome
- clonal performance or expansione2
- Direction
- few effectse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“clones of Fragaria virginiana [Rosaceae]”
e2“Field observations showed that the intensity of herbivory varies in intensity over the season but has few effects on clonal performance or expansion”
Claim · model-written summary
The number of unrooted ramets supported by an older ramet had no effect on its ability to recover from herbivory or on total clone performance.
- Taxon
- Fragaria virginianaFragaria virginianae0
- Treatment
- number of unrooted ramets supported by an older ramete3
- Outcome
- ability to recover from herbivory or total clone performancee3
- Direction
- no effecte3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“clones of Fragaria virginiana [Rosaceae]”
e3“In one greenhouse experiment the number of unrooted ramets supported by an older ramet had no effect on either the older ramet's ability to recover from herbivory or total clone performance”
Claim · model-written summary
In a greenhouse experiment, connected clones recovered from defoliation faster and better than clones with severed ramet connections.
- Taxon
- Fragaria virginianaFragaria virginianae0
- Material
- connected clonese4
- Treatment
- defoliatione4
- Outcome
- able to recovere4
- Direction
- faster and bettere4
- Comparator
- clones that had connections between ramets severede4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“clones of Fragaria virginiana [Rosaceae]”
e4“In a second greenhouse experiment, connected clones were able to recover from defoliation faster and better than clones that had connections between ramets severed”
Claim · model-written summary
In the field, connected and severed clones showed no difference in regrowth after defoliation or clonal expansion.
- Taxon
- Fragaria virginianaFragaria virginianae0
- Treatment
- defoliatione5
- Outcome
- regrowth after defoliation or clonal expansione5
- Direction
- no differencee5
- Comparator
- severed clonese5
- Setting
- in the fielde5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“clones of Fragaria virginiana [Rosaceae]”
e5“In contrast, in the field there was no difference in regrowth after defoliation or clonal expansion between connected and severed clones”
Claim · model-written summary
Clonality can ameliorate the negative effects of herbivory, with costs and benefits conditional on the environment.
- Taxon
- Fragaria virginianaFragaria virginianae0
- Treatment
- clonalitye6
- Outcome
- negative effects of herbivorye6
- Direction
- amelioratee6
- Qualifier
- conditional upon the environmente6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“clones of Fragaria virginiana [Rosaceae]”
e6“Overall, my results show that clonality can ameliorate the negative effects of herbivory, but the costs and benefits are conditional upon the environment”