Abstract
Resource availability influences plant growth and reproduction. Here, a controlled experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the adaptation response of Chloris virgata to different precipitation conditions, and to further predict the reproductive strategy in a population of C. virgata under different precipitation regimes. Three regimes (low, typical and high) of water addition were used to simulate current precipitation patterns. In total 20 individuals for each treatment were analysed to compare tiller number, spike traits, seed traits, the relationship between seed size and seed number, and so on. In addition, the effects of different precipitation regimes on offspring vigour of C. virgata were also studied. Results indicated that tiller number, spike number, seed yield and seed number were unchanged under different water addition regimes, while seed size was about 0.5 mg at typical and high precipitation levels and was higher than that in the low precipitation level. The higher seed mass per spike and spike mass both occurred at typical and high precipitation levels. Significant positive correlations between seed mass and non-seed mass in C. virgata in response to precipitation regimes were largely allometric (size dependent), as was a significant negative correlation between seed size and seed number at low precipitation. The highest germination rates and seedling weights both occurred at typical and high precipitation levels. These findings showed that different precipitation regimes affected reproductive strategy of C. virgata. Chloris virgata will not benefit from low precipitation, while typical and high precipitation will improve seed traits and offspring vigour of this species.
Highlights
Reproduction is one of the most fundamental traits of plants
Reproductive tiller number was important for yield component of C. virgata and our results showed that there were no significant changes in total and reproductive tiller number under different precipitation levels
The results indicated clearly that decreasing precipitation from typical to low precipitation levels resulted in lower spike mass, seed mass and seed size, examples of the negative effects of drought on plant growth and reproduction [16]
Summary
Reproduction is one of the most fundamental traits of plants. Reproductive pattern is a core component of a plant’s life-history strategy and is the result of natural selection. Plants can exhibit various strategies to cope with different selection pressures for a variable available resource [1]. The growth and development of reproductive organs is affected by environmental conditions, so reproductive strategy plays an important role in plant adaptation by maximizing the overall fitness of plants growing in different environments [2]. A trade-off between growth and reproduction exists because increased allocation to one function, as the result of natural selection to cope with different growing environments, often comes at a cost to other functions [4]. Studies of trade-off between growth and reproduction are, useful in understanding the adaptation of plants to their natural environments. Variable resource allocation affects seed traits, which are important components of seed yield [5]. Seed traits, such as seed size, can affect offspring characters, so that maternal nutrient status, for example, can influence the competitive ability of offspring, including traits such as seed germination and seedling establishment [6]
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