Tree size and its relationship with flowering phenology and reproductive output in Wild Nutmeg trees

Autor(es)

Otarola, Mauricio Fernandez ^[1] ; Sazima, Marlies ^[2] ; Solferini, Vera N. ^[3]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas UNICAMP, Inst Biol, Programa Posgrad Ecol, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas UNICAMP, Inst Biol, Dept Biol Vegetal, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Estadual Campinas Unicamp, Inst Biol, Dept Genet Evolucao & Bioagentes, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION; v. 3, n. 10, p. 3536-3544, SEP 2013.
• Citações Web of Science: 8

Resumo

Reproductive strategies, sexual selection, and their relationship with the phenotype of individuals are topics widely studied in animals, but this information is less abundant for plants. Variability in flowering phenology among individuals has direct impact on their fitness, but how reproductive phenology is affected by the size of the individuals needs further study. We quantified the flowering intensity, length, and reproductive synchronization of two sympatric dioecious Wild Nutmeg tree species (Virola, Myristicaceae) in the Brazilian Atlantic forest, and analyzed its relationships with tree size. Two distinct strategies in flowering timing and intensity were found between species (annual versus biennial flowering), and among individuals in the annual flowering species (extended versus peak flowering). Only for the annual flowering species the reproductive output is related to tree size and large trees present proportionally higher flower coverage, and lower synchronization than smaller ones. Flowering is massive and highly synchronized in the biennial species. Sex ratios are not different from 1:1 in the two species, and in the two segregated reproductive subgroups in the biennial flowering species. The biennial flowering at individual level is a novelty among reproductive patterns in plants, separating the population in two reproductive subgroups. A proportional increase in the reproductive output with size exists only for the annual flowering species. A biennial flowering can allow resource storage favouring massive flowering for all the individuals diluting their relationship with size. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 03/12595-7 - Composição florística, estrutura e funcionamento da Floresta Ombrófila Densa dos Núcleos Picinguaba e Santa Virgínia do Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, estado de São Paulo, Brasil
• Beneficiário: Carlos Alfredo Joly
• Linha de fomento: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 09/50739-7 - Variabilidade genética em espécies de distribuição fragmentada
• Beneficiário: Vera Nisaka Solferini
• Linha de fomento: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular