| Herbivore-mediated ecological costs of reproduction shape the life history of an iteroparous plant. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 18197767 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Plant reproduction yields immediate fitness benefits but can be costly in terms of survival, growth, and future fecundity. Life-history theory posits that reproductive strategies are shaped by trade-offs between current and future fitness that result from these direct costs of reproduction. Plant reproduction may also incur indirect ecological costs if it increases susceptibility to herbivores. Yet ecological costs of reproduction have received little empirical attention and remain poorly integrated into life-history theory. Here, we provide evidence for herbivore-mediated ecological costs of reproduction, and we develop theory to examine how these costs influence plant life-history strategies. Field experiments with an iteroparous cactus (Opuntia imbricata) indicated that greater reproductive effort (proportion of meristems allocated to reproduction) led to greater attack by a cactus-feeding insect (Narnia pallidicornis) and that damage by this herbivore reduced reproductive success. A dynamic programming model predicted strongly divergent optimal reproductive strategies when ecological costs were included, compared with when these costs were ignored. Meristem allocation by cacti in the field matched the optimal strategy expected under ecological costs of reproduction. The results indicate that plant reproductive allocation can strongly influence the intensity of interactions with herbivores and that associated ecological costs can play an important selective role in the evolution of plant life histories. |
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Authors:
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Tom E X Miller; Brigitte Tenhumberg; Svata M Louda |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. |
Journal Detail:
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Title: The American naturalist Volume: 171 ISSN: 1537-5323 ISO Abbreviation: Am. Nat. Publication Date: 2008 Feb |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2008-01-16 Completed Date: 2008-03-07 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 2984688R Medline TA: Am Nat Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 141-9 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA. tmiller@bio.fsu.edu. |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animals Feeding Behavior Heteroptera / physiology* Opuntia / growth & development, parasitology, physiology* Population Dynamics Reproduction / physiology |
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