Differences in plastic responses to defoliation due to variation in the timing of treatments for two species of Sesbania (Fabaceae).
OBJECTIVE
Plastic responses to stress in components of reproduction can have important effects on plant fitness and can vary both within and between species. Responses may also depend on when in the life cycle stress occurs. Here, it is predicted that the timing of initiation of a stress, defoliation, would affect the pattern of plastic responses. These differences should occur because some components of reproduction, such as flower number, are determined earlier in a plant's life than others, such as individual seed mass.


METHODS
To test this prediction, 50 % artificial defoliation treatments were initiated at four different times for Sesbania macrocarpa and S. vesicaria. Responses were measured in plant size, number of flowers, number of flowers/plant size, fruit set, number of seeds per fruit, individual seed mass and total seed mass per plant.


RESULTS
For S. vesicaria, changes in the timing of stress changed the severity, but not the pattern of response. For S. macrocarpa, plastic responses to defoliation varied strikingly between early and late treatments. Late treatments resulted in over-compensation in this species. Sesbania macrocarpa was generally more plastic than S. vesicaria and the species showed opposite responses for most components of reproduction.


CONCLUSIONS
While there were effects of timing of defoliation and differences between species, the nature of these effects did not precisely fit our predictions. Our results suggest that differences in the length and flexibility of the life cycles of the two species allowed for unexpected variation in responses. For example, because flower production continued after the last treatment in S. vesicaria, responses were not constrained to reductions in individual seed mass.
Marshall
Diane L
DL
Department of Biology, MSC03 2020, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. marshall@umn.edu
Abrahamson
Nathan J
NJ
Avritt
Joy J
JJ
Hall
Paula M
PM
Medeiros
Juliana S
JS
Reynolds
Jerusha
J
Shaner
Marieken G M
MG
Simpson
Healther L
HL
Trafton
Alea N
AN
Tyler
Anna P
AP
Walsh
Sharon
S
D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003678:Defoliants, Chemical / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D018525:Germination / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons; D013045:Species Specificity
D003678:Defoliants, Chemical