Sexual differences in response to simulated herbivory in the gynodioecious herb Geranium sylvaticum

Varga, Sandra; Kytöviita, Minna‐Maarit; Siikamäki, Pirkko

doi:10.1007/s11258-008-9492-0

Cited by 25 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 43 publications

(46 reference statements)

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“…Therefore, the similar costs of reproduction found between the two sexes in our study species can explain the lack of differences in reproduction frequency observed among the five study years. Concurring with that, we observed a similar proportion of root length colonised by AM fungi in both male and females agreeing with most studies reporting similar root colonisation by AM fungi in sexually dimorphic plants (Gehring and Whitham 1992;Varga & Kytöviita 2008;Varga et al 2009;Varga and Kytöviita 2010b). Species belonging to the AM fungal genera Glomus and Acaulospora have been In plant populations, departs from 1:1 sex ratio have been frequently reported.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Sex ratio and spatial distribution of male and female Antennaria dioica (Asteraceae) plants

Varga

Kytöviita

2011

Acta Oecologica

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Sex ratio, sex spatial distribution and sexual dimorphism in reproduction and arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation were investigated in the dioecious clonal plant Antennaria dioica (Asteraceae). Plants were monitored for five consecutive years in six study plots in Oulanka, northern Finland. Sex ratio, spatial distribution of sexes, flowering frequency, number of floral shoots and the number and weight of inflorescences were recorded. In addition, intensity of mycorrhizal fungi in the roots was assessed. Both sexes flowered each year with a similar frequency, but the overall genet sex ratio was strongly female-biased. The bivariate Ripley's analysis of the sex distribution showed that within most plots sexes were randomly distributed except for one plot. Sexual dimorphism was expressed as larger floral and inflorescence production and heavier inflorescences in males. In addition, the roots of both sexes were colonised to a similar extent by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The female sex-biased flowering ratios reported are not consistent among years and cannot be explained in terms of spatial segregation of the sexes or sex lability. The possible reasons for the female-biased sex ratio are discussed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Sex ratio and spatial distribution of male and female Antennaria dioica (Asteraceae) plants

Varga

Kytöviita

2011

Acta Oecologica

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“…The response of female and hermaphrodite G. sylvaticum to simulated herbivory was investigated in the field (Varga et al, 2009). Females and hermaphrodites had a similar proportion of root length colonized by AM fungi.…”

Section: Geranium Sylvaticum (Geraniaceae) Gynodioeciousmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizas on reproductive traits in sexually dimorphic plants: a review

Varga¹

2013

Span. j. agric. res.

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Most plant species grow in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in their roots forming arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis. The positive effects of this type of symbiosis on plant's performance are well known and established. However, relatively little is known about how AM symbiosis affects plant reproduction, even though reproduction is probably the most important component of life history. This review begins with a summary of the existing data on plants with monomorphic breeding systems, as most of the research has been performed using hermaphroditic and monoecious plants. Later, the limited number of studies examining mycorrhizal effects on plants with dimorphic breeding systems is detailed. Finally, several key areas for future investigations are highlighted. These include examination of the incidence of sex-specific interactions in other plant species with dimorphic systems, the influence of AM symbiosis in seed germination and establishment in plants with different gender, or the study of the mechanisms behind the AM effects seen on plant reproduction. Evidence suggests that AM symbioses are beneficial for plants with monomorphic and dimorphic breeding systems, as AM symbioses improve both sexual and asexual reproduction. However, the effects observed strongly depend on both the plant and the AM fungus species involved. Plant interactions with AM fungi and the outcome of these interactions may further depend on the gender of the host: sex-specific patterns of root colonization and sex-specific benefits from AM symbioses have been reported in several plant species. However, the incidence and the importance of sex-specific relationships between AM fungi and plants are still largely unexplored.Additional key words: clonal growth, plant sexual dimorphism, plant-fungus interactions, sex-specific interactions, sexual reproduction. Resumen Revisión. Efecto de las micorrizas arbusculares en las características reproductivas de las plantas con dimorfismo sexualLa mayoría de plantas crecen en asociación con hongos micorrícicos arbusculares en sus raíces formando micorrizas arbusculares (MA). Los efectos positivos de este tipo de simbiosis para el desarrollo de plantas son bien reconocidos. Poco se sabe de los efectos de las MA sobre la reproducción; aunque sea probablemente el rasgo más importante de la estrategia vital de una planta. Esta revisión detalla los datos disponibles sobre los efectos de las MA en la reproducción de plantas con sistemas de reproducción monomórficos y dimórficos. Se presentan los datos existentes sobre los efectos en la reproducción en plantas con sistemas de reproducción monomórficos, dado que la mayoría de los estudios se han efectuado sobre plantas hermafroditas y monoicas; se detallan los estudios que examinan los efectos de las MA en plantas con sistemas de reproducción dimórf icos; y se proporcionan líneas de investigación futuras. Los datos sugieren que las MA son mayoritariamente beneficiosas tanto para plantas con sistemas monomórficos cómo dimórficos, ya que m...

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“…In addition to these field observations, there is some support for the SDP hypothesis gained with experiments manipulating resource availability ([11], [29], [30], [31], [32]; but see [16], [27], [23] and [33]). These studies strongly suggest a direct link between sex ratio and nutrient or water availability (reviewed in [15]), but there is evidence that this is not the case of light availability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Absence of Sex Differential Plasticity to Light Availability during Seed Maturation in Geranium sylvaticum

et al. 2015

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Sex-differential plasticity (SDP) hypothesis suggests that since hermaphrodites gain fitness through both pollen and seed production they may have evolved a higher degree of plasticity in their reproductive strategy compared to females which achieve fitness only through seed production. SDP may explain the difference in seed production observed between sexes in gynodioecious species in response to resource (nutrients or water) availability. In harsh environments, hermaphrodites decrease seed production whereas females keep it relatively similar regardless of the environmental conditions. Light availability can be also a limiting resource and thus could theoretically affect differently female and hermaphrodite seed output even though this ecological factor has been largely overlooked. We tested whether the two sexes in the gynodioecious species Geranium sylvaticum differ in their tolerance to light limitation during seed maturation in the field. We used a fully factorial block experiment exposing female and hermaphrodite plants to two different light environments (control and shade) after their peak flowering period. Specifically, we measured fruit and seed production in response to decreased light availability and compared it between the sexes. Shading reduced the number of fruits and seeds produced, but the decrease was similar between the sexes. Furthermore, shading delayed seed production by three days in both sexes, but did not affect seed mass, seed P content, or the probability of re-flowering the following year. Our results give no evidence for reproductive SDP in response to light during seed maturation.

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Sexual differences in response to simulated herbivory in the gynodioecious herb Geranium sylvaticum

Cited by 25 publications

References 43 publications

Sex ratio and spatial distribution of male and female Antennaria dioica (Asteraceae) plants

Sex ratio and spatial distribution of male and female Antennaria dioica (Asteraceae) plants

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizas on reproductive traits in sexually dimorphic plants: a review

Absence of Sex Differential Plasticity to Light Availability during Seed Maturation in Geranium sylvaticum

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