Reduction in reproductive output and leaf size in Sanguinaria canadensis as a cost of reproduction

Abstract

Abstract When resources are limited, plants must partition their energetic resources among life history traits such as maintenance, growth, and reproduction. Thus reproduction in a given year may result in lowered growth rates or reproductive rates in subsequent years. This is known as the Principle of Allocation or the Cost of Reproduction hypothesis. In this study, flowering, fruiting, and leaf output were evaluated during two consecutive growing seasons in a population of Sanguinaria canadensis in Fairfax, Virginia. The objective of this field study was to determine if the energetic investments by plants that reproduced in two consecutive years (2003 and 2004 growing seasons) were sufficient to reduce reproduction and leaf size as compared to plants that only reproduced in a single year (2004 growing season). The study area is situated on the west campus of George Mason University on a slope of 11.9% and is divided into three 10 m × 100 m rows, with each row separated from the adjacent row by an unsamp...