Patterns of Resource Allocation in Plants, with Special Reference to Potentilla recta L.

Abstract

A field study of resource allocation in P. recta is used to illustrate problems in both intra- and interspecific comparisons of reproductive effort in plants. Resource allocation was compared in 3 populations of P. recta from habitats differing in successional maturity. In the 1st year of study average reproductive effort declined significantly from the population in the youngest habitat to that in the most mature habitat. The differences between populations were as great as the differences found in some interspecific comparisons. In the 2nd year, reproductive effort did not differ significantly among the 3 populations. In this and other studies of plants, differences in resource allocation along an environmental gradient do not consistently agree with theoretical predictions, perhaps not unexpectedly for species whose individuals have great phenotypic plasticity. A hypothesis is proposed to predict the pattern of reproductive effort in relation to environment for such species.