An Extented Class Discussion

Evolutionary ecology at its best. How to read the study guide. Questions are in (#) Answers from each person are in Letters exp A, B, C...

Monday, March 22, 2010

(20) For a given allocation to reproduction, there is a trade-off between the number and the size of offspring produced. What types of environment would favor plant species with a strategy of producing many small seeds rather than few large ones?

A.Plants in competitive environment would produce many small seeds because it would increase the chances that there would be offspring that survive. Producing large seeds would decrease the chance of having an offspring survive in because there might be too much competition for resources for the large seed to develop and grow.

B.The larger the offspring produced the more energy and resources went into making the offspring and the single offspring has a higher chance of survival and less competition. Having many offspring means that your genes aren’t supported by only one child. Some offspring will and can die but your genetic coding will continue on. Environments rich in nutrients warm temperature and fresh water would favor large clutches.
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  1. spaceshapetheMarch 25, 2010 at 3:47 PM

    Plants that produce smaller seeds can generate many more seeds per flower, while plants with larger seeds invest more resources into those seeds and normally produce fewer seeds. Small seeds are quicker to ripen and can be dispersed sooner, so fall blooming plants often have small seeds. Many annual plants produce great quantities of smaller seeds; this helps to ensure that at least a few will end in a favorable place for growth. Herbaceous perennials and woody plants often have larger seeds, they can produce seeds over many years, and larger seeds have more energy reserves for germination and seedling growth and produce larger, more established seedlings after germination

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