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110 results for “Seed traits”

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Large seeds provide an intrinsic growth advantage that depends on leaf traits and root allocation

Seed mass and growth rate are important dimensions of plant ecological diversity, but their relationship remains unresolved. Negative relationships between relative growth rate (RGR) and seed mass are well established. However, RGR is size-dependent, so small-seeded species might achieve fast growth simply because they are initially small. Using a dataset of unprecedented size, sampling 382 grass species, we investigated seed mass and growth rate using both RGR and SGR (RGR at a specific size), accounting for diversity in phylogeny, ecology (e.g. life history, photosynthetic pathway) and environment (mean annual temperature and precipitation). RGR and SGR showed contrasting relationships with seed mass, such that large-seeded species had lower RGR but higher SGR than small-seeded species. However, the relationship between SGR and seed mass depended on leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and was only positive in high-LDMC species. When compared at a common size, the fast growth of large-seeded and low-LDMC species was associated with greater biomass allocation to roots in the hot, high-light environment used for our experiment. Photosynthetic pathway and life history contributed to variation in SGR, with C4 annuals having higher SGRs than C3 perennials regardless of seed size. Large seeds therefore afford an intrinsic growth advantage in species with resource-conserving leaf traits, and may provide a competitive edge in resource-poor environments. This work advances understanding of how seed mass and growth rate coevolve with other ecological factors.

opencc-zeroJun 2021View details →

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Data from: Within-species trait variation can lead to size limitations in seed dispersal of small-fruited plants

The inability of small-gaped animals to consume very large fruits may limit seed dispersal of the respective plants. This has often been shown for large-fruited plant species that remain poorly dispersed when large-gaped animal species are lost due to anthropogenic pressure. Little is known about whether gape-size limitations similarly influence seed dispersal of small-fruited plant species that can show a large variation in fruit size within species. In this study, fruit sizes of 15 plant species were compared with the gape sizes of their 41 animal dispersers in the temperate, old-growth Białowieża Forest, Poland. The effect of gape-size limitations on fruit consumption was assessed at the plant species level, and for a subset of nine plant species, also at the individual level, and subindividual level (i.e., fruits of the same plant individual). In addition, for the species subset, fruit-seed trait relationships were investigated to determine whether a restricted access of small-gaped animals to large fruits results in the dispersal of fewer or smaller seeds per fruit. Fruit sizes widely varied among plant species (74.2%), considerably at the subindividual level (17.1%), and to the smallest extent among plant individuals (8.7%). Key disperser species should be able to consume fruits of all plant species and all individuals (except those of the largest-fruited plant species), even if they are able to consume only 28-55% of available fruits. Fruit and seed traits were positively correlated in eight out of nine plant species, indicating that gape size limitations will result in 49% fewer (in one plant species) or 16-21% smaller seeds (in three plant species) dispersed per fruit by small-gaped than by large-gaped main dispersers, respectively. Our results show that a large subindividual variation in fruit size is characteristic for small-fruited plant species, and increases their connectedness with frugivores at the level of plants species and individuals. Simultaneously, however, the large variation in fruit size leads to gape-size limitations that may induce selective pressures on fruit size if large-gaped dispersers become extinct. This study emphasizes the mechanisms by which gape-size limitation at the species, individual and subindividual level shape plant-frugivore interactions and the co-evolution of small-fruited plants.

opencc-zeroAug 2021View details →

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Seed size, seed dispersal traits, and plant dispersion patterns for native and introduced grassland plants

Most terrestrial plants disperse by seeds, yet the relationship between seed mass, seed dispersal traits, and plant dispersion is poorly understood. We quantified seed traits for 48 species of native and introduced plants from grasslands of western Montana, USA, to investigate the relationships between seed traits and plant dispersion patterns. Additionally, because the linkage between dispersal traits and dispersion patterns might be stronger for actively dispersing species, we compared these patterns between native and introduced plants. Finally, we evaluated the efficacy of a global trait database, the TRY plant traits database, versus locally collected data for examining these questions. This archive contains species-level data used in analyses, including species metadata (origin, growth form), mean values of measured seed traits (size metrics and type of dispersal structures), two metrics of dispersion (local and broad scales, respectively) derived from grassland surveys in the study region, and information on the seed mass accessed from the TRY traits database. Note that the latter seed mass data could not be included in the archive, but can be acquired directly from the TRY plant traits database (<a href="https://www.try-db.org/TryWeb/Home.php">https://www.try-db.org/TryWeb/Home.php</a>).

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

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Cytoplasmic male sterility and abortive seed traits generated through mitochondrial genome editing coupled with allotopic expression of atp1 in tobacco

Genome editing tools have recently been developed that are capable of generating deletions and/or rearrangements in plant mitochondrial genomes. We utilized custom-designed meganuclease constructs targeting the essential mitochondrial gene atp1 in tobacco plants carrying a version of atp1 that had been repurposed to function as a nuclear gene. Leaf extracts enriched in mitochondria from three independent genome editing events were evaluated by PacBio sequencing and analysis. Contigs that display sequence homology to the reference mitochondrial genome BA000042 are deposited here. Some of the contigs correspond to the tobacco mitochondrial genome as expected, while others corresponded to sequences from the nucleus where the ancient transfer of portions of the mitochondrial genome became incorporated into the nuclear genome. Still other contigs correspond to the chloroplast genome, or pieces of the chloroplast genome anciently transferred to the nucleus, as small fragments of the chloroplast genome are interspersed in plant mitochondrial genomes. Analysis of contigs of genuine mitochondrial origin demonstrated that the double-strand breaks imposed by the genome editing enzymes resulted in the deletion of atp1 and neighboring sequences, along with rearrangements in overall genome structure.

opencc-zeroAug 2023View details →

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