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Aljiboury AA, Friedman J. Mating and fitness consequences of variation in male allocation in a wind-pollinated plant. Evolution 2022; 76:1762-1775. [PMID: 35765717 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
In hermaphrodites, the allocation of resources to each sex function can influence fitness through mating success. A prediction that arises from sex allocation theory is that in wind-pollinated plants, male fitness should increase linearly with investment of resources into male function but there have been few empirical tests of this prediction. In a field experiment, we experimentally manipulated allocation to male function in Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) and measured mating success in contrasting phenotypes using genetic markers. We investigated the effects of morphological traits and flowering phenology on male siring success, and on the diversity of mates. Our results provide evidence for a linear relation between allocation to male function, mating, and fitness. We find earlier onset of male flowering time increases reproductive success, whereas later flowering increases the probability of mating with diverse individuals. Our study is among the first empirical tests of the prediction of linear male fitness returns in wind-pollinated plants and emphasizes the importance of a large investment into male function by wind-pollinated plants and mating consequences of temporal variation in sex allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abrar A Aljiboury
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, 13244
| | - Jannice Friedman
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, 13244.,Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, K7L 3N6
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Coelho FF, Damasceno AG, Fávaro A, Teodoro GS, Langsdorff LP. Size-dependent sex allocation in Solanum lycocarpum St. Hil. (Solanaceae). BRAZ J BIOL 2021; 82:e237575. [PMID: 33978077 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.237575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Resource allocation to reproduction can change depending on size, as predicted by the size-dependent sex allocation. This theory is based on the fact that small individuals will invest in the allocation of sex with lower cost of production, usually male gender. In plants, there are some andromonoecy species, presence of hermaphrodite and male flowers in the same individual. Andromonoecy provides a strategy to optimally allocate resources to male and female function, evolving a reproductive energy-saving strategy. Thus, our objective was to investigate the size-dependent sex allocation in Solanum lycocarpum St. Hil. We tested the hypothesis that plants with larger size will invest in the production of hermaphrodite flowers, because higher individuals have greater availability of resources to invest in more complex structures involving greater energy expenditure. The studied species was S. lycocarpum, an andromonoecious species. From June 2016 to March 2017 the data were collected in 38 individuals, divided in two groups: the larger plant group (n=18; height=3-5 m) and the smaller plant group (n=20; height=1-2 m).Our data show that there was effect of plant size on the flower production and the sexual gender allocation. The larger plants showed more flowers and higher production of hermaphrodite flowers. Furthermore, in the flower scale, we observed allometric relationship among the flower's traits with proportional investments in biomass, anther size and gynoecium size. Our results are in agreement with size-dependent sex allocation theory and andromonoecy hypothesis related to mechanisms for optimal resource allocation to male and female function.
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Affiliation(s)
- F F Coelho
- Universidade Federal de Lavras - UFLA, Departamento de Biologia, Setor de Botânica, Lavras, MG, Brasil
| | - A G Damasceno
- Universidade Federal de Lavras - UFLA, Departamento de Biologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Genética, Lavras, MG, Brasil
| | - A Fávaro
- Universidade Federal de Lavras - UFLA, Departamento de Biologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Lavras, MG, Brasil
| | - G S Teodoro
- Universidade Federal do Pará - UFPA, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Belém, PA, Brasil
| | - L P Langsdorff
- Universidade Federal de Lavras - UFLA, Departamento de Biologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica Aplicada, Lavras, MG, Brasil
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Kostanecki A, Gorton AJ, Moeller DA. An urban–rural spotlight: evolution at small spatial scales among urban and rural populations of common ragweed. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juab004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Urbanization produces similar environmental changes across cities relative to their neighboring rural environments. However, there may be high environmental heterogeneity across an urban–rural gradient. Previous research in Minneapolis, MN, USA, found mixed evidence that urban and rural plant populations of common ragweed have locally adapted and that urban populations exhibit greater among-population divergence in ecologically-important traits. To investigate whether there are parallel patterns of urban–rural trait divergence across different urban areas, we examined trait variation across an urban–rural gradient in a second city, St. Louis, MO, USA. We used growth chamber and greenhouse common environments to investigate variation in six traits within and among 16 populations of common ragweed (eight from each urban and rural area). Urban and rural plants diverged significantly in three of five traits, with rural plants having lower percent germination, greater height and lower leaf dissection index. We also found greater variance in plant height among urban compared to rural populations, potentially driven by heterogeneity in human management practices on urban populations. Patterns of urban-rural trait divergence (e.g. in flowering time) differ substantially from those found previously in the reciprocal transplant experiment in Minneapolis, contradicting the hypothesis of parallel evolution across different metropolitan areas. The results of this study suggest that there is considerable population variation in ecologically-important traits, but that urban populations do not consistently differ from neighboring rural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Kostanecki
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Amanda J Gorton
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - David A Moeller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Timerman D, Barrett SCH. Influence of local density and sex ratio on pollination in an ambophilous flowering plant. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:587-598. [PMID: 32227341 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Variation in local density and sex ratio in dioecious plants can affect mating success through the actions of pollen vectors, principally generalist insects or wind. Increased density and male-biased sex ratios should promote pollen transfer and seed production, but their combined effects have not been investigated for ambophilous species, which exhibit both insect and wind pollination. METHODS We manipulated density (low vs. high) and sex ratio (1:1 vs. 3:1 male-biased) in arrays of dioecious ambophilous Thalictrum pubescens. We quantified visitation rates and foraging times to examine whether pollinators exhibited sex-specific preferences and determined the seed set of arrays. RESULTS Pollinators visited more plants per foraging bout at high than low density. Visitation rates and foraging times of visitors were greater for male than for female plants but did not depend on the density or sex ratio of arrays. However, whereas solitary bees displayed a strong preference for males, hover flies were indifferent to plant sex phenotype. Solitary bees also visited significantly more plants per foraging bout than hover flies. There was a significant interaction between density and sex ratio on seed set. At low density, seed set was greater for 3:1 than for 1:1 arrays, but at high density the opposite pattern occurred. CONCLUSIONS The demographic factors we investigated had complex influences on pollinator foraging behavior and patterns of seed set. Several factors may explain our results, including the influence of density and sex ratio on pollen export from arrays, grooming by pollinators, and the contribution of wind pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Timerman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Spencer C H Barrett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, M5S 3B2, Canada
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Tonnabel J, David P, Klein EK, Pannell JR. Sex‐specific selection on plant architecture through “budget” and “direct” effects in experimental populations of the wind‐pollinated herb,
Mercurialis annua. Evolution 2019; 73:897-912. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Tonnabel
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of Lausanne CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Patrice David
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ MontpellierUniv Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | | | - John R. Pannell
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of Lausanne CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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Liu Y, Neal Stewart C, Li J, Wei W. One species to another: sympatric Bt transgene gene flow from Brassica napus alters the reproductive strategy of wild relative Brassica juncea under herbivore treatment. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2018; 122:617-625. [PMID: 29878055 PMCID: PMC6153478 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcy096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Since pollen flow or seed dispersal can contribute to transgene persistence in the environment, the sympatric presence of transgenic crops with their wild relatives is an ecological concern. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that proximate growth of a herbivore-resistant Bt crop and wild relatives coupled with the presence of herbivores can increase relative frequency of crop-to-wild transgene flow persistence outside of cultivation. METHODS We conducted a field experiment using insect enclosures with and without herbivores with cultivated Bt-transgenic Brassica napus (Bt OSR) and wild brown mustard (Brassica juncea) in pure and mixed stands. Low-density diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) caterpillar infestation treatments were applied and transgene flow and reproductive organs were measured. KEY RESULTS Bt-transgenic B. napus produced more ovules and pollen than wild mustard, but the pollen to ovule (P/O) ratio in the two species was not significantly different. Low-level herbivory had no effects on fitness parameters of Bt OSR or wild brown mustard or on the transgene flow frequency. All progeny from wild brown mustard containing the Bt transgene came from mixed stands, with a gene flow frequency of 0.66 %. In mixed stands, wild brown mustard produced less pollen and more ovules than in pure stands of brown mustard. This indicates a decreased P/O ratio in a mixed population scenario. CONCLUSIONS Since a lower P/O ratio indicates a shift in sex allocation towards relatively greater female investment and a higher pollen transfer efficiency, the presence of transgenic plants in wild populations may further increase the potential transgene flow by altering reproductive allocation of wild species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongbo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - C Neal Stewart
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Junsheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Nakahara T, Fukano Y, Hirota SK, Yahara T. Size advantage for male function and size-dependent sex allocation in Ambrosia artemisiifolia, a wind-pollinated plant. Ecol Evol 2017; 8:1159-1170. [PMID: 29375787 PMCID: PMC5773293 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In wind‐pollinated plants, male‐biased sex allocation is often positively associated with plant size and height. However, effects of size (biomass or reproductive investment) and height were not separated in most previous studies. Here, using experimental populations of monoecious plants, Ambrosia altemisiifolia, we examined (1) how male and female reproductive investments (MRI and FRI) change with biomass and height, (2) how MRI and height affect male reproductive success (MRS) and pollen dispersal, and (3) how height affects seed production. Pollen dispersal kernel and selection gradients on MRS were estimated by 2,102 seeds using six microsatellite markers. First, MRI increased with height, but FRI did not, suggesting that sex allocation is more male‐biased with increasing plant height. On the other hand, both MRI and FRI increased with biomass but often more greatly for FRI, and consequently, sex allocation was often female‐biased with biomass. Second, MRS increased with both height and MRI, the latter having the same or larger effect on MRS. Estimated pollen dispersal kernel was fat‐tailed, with the maximum distance between mates tending to increase with MRI but not with height. Third, the number of seeds did not increase with height. Those findings showed that the male‐biased sex allocation in taller plants of A. artemisiifolia is explained by a direct effect of height on MRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Nakahara
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences Kyushu University Fukuoka Japan
| | - Yuya Fukano
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
| | - Shun K Hirota
- Institute of Decision Science for a Sustainable Society Kyushu University Fukuoka Japan.,Present address: Kawatabi Field Science Center Graduate School of Agricultural Science Tohoku University Miyagi Japan
| | - Tetsukazu Yahara
- Department of Biology Faculty of Science Kyushu University Fukuoka Japan
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