Plant Strategies, Competition & Interactions

Flashcards based on lecture notes about Plant Strategies, Competition & Interactions

Allocation

A plant’s strategy of allocating limited resources to competing needs for survival, resource acquisition, and reproduction.

Life History Patterns

A plant's strategy or pattern of allocating limited resources to competing needs for survival (maintenance), resource acquisition (growth) & reproduction.

Resource-ratio hypothesis

Predicts that organs geared toward acquiring a limiting resource (light: leaves, N: roots, etc) will be well developed in species that compete for that resource.

Annuals

Plants that complete their entire life cycle in one season.

Biennials

Plants that have a vegetative stage for one to a few seasons and then flower during their last season.

Perennials

Plants that live for many years and reproduce multiple times.

Semelparous (monocarpic)

Plants that reproduce only once during their lifetime.

Iteroparous (Polycarpic)

Plants that reproduce multiple times during their lifetime.

Reproductive allocation (RA)

The effort a plant puts into seed production.

Residual Reproductive Value (RRV)

The probability of a plant reproducing in the future.

r-selected species

Species that maximize their population growth rate (r) in short-lived, unpredictable habitats.

K-selected species

Species that maximize their fitness in stable habitats with populations near carrying capacity (K).

Ruderal species (R)

Species that are adapted to disturbed environments and have high growth rates.

Competitive strategists (C)

Species that are adapted to stable environments and compete effectively for resources.

Stress tolerators (S)

Species that are adapted to environments with high levels of stress.

Competition

Mutually adverse effects to organisms that utilize a common resource in short supply.

Exploitation competition

Competition for resources.

Interference competition

Direct interactions between species.

Apparent competition

Negative net effect on each other via a 3rd species.

Niche

A species’ total role in an ecosystem.

Amensalism

Interactions which depress one organism while the other remains unaffected.

Commensalism

Interaction that stimulates one species but has little/no effect on the other.

Epiphytes

Plants growing on other plants. Non-parasitic: Don't take food from host, only use it as a perch.

Protocooperation

Non-essential Interaction which stimulates both partners: (Absence won’t seriously depress growth/survival).

Mutualism

Obligate interactions that benefit both partners.

Ectomycorhizae

Characteristic of most N. American temperate conifer & many hardwood trees---pine oak, etc.

Endomycorhizae (Arbuscular mycorrizae)

Hyphae penetrate into cells (up to 90% vascular plant species).

Herbivory

Consumption of plant tissue for food.