title: Cost of reproduction in a spring ephemeral species, Adonis ramosa (Ranunculaceae): carbon budget for seed production.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Spring ephemerals have a specific life-history trait, i.e. shoot growth and sexual reproduction occur simultaneously during a short period from snowmelt to canopy closure in deciduous forests. The aim of this study is to clarify how spring ephemerals invest resources for seed production within a restricted period.
  
  
  METHODS
  In order to evaluate the cost of reproduction of a typical spring ephemeral species, Adonis ramosa, an experiment was conducted comprising defoliation treatments (intact, one-third and two-thirds leaf-cutting) and fruit manipulations (control, shading and removal) over two growing seasons. In addition, measurements were made of the movements of carbon assimilated via (13)C tracing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survival rate was high irrespective of treatments and manipulations. The proportion of flowering plants and plant size decreased as a result of the defoliation treatments over 2 years, but the fruit manipulations did not affect flowering activity or plant size. Seed set and seed number decreased as a result of fruit shading treatment, but the defoliation treatments did not affect current seed production. Individual seed weight also decreased in the second year due to fruit shading. The (13)C tracing experiment revealed that young fruits had photosynthetic ability and current photosynthetic products from leaves were mainly transferred to the below-ground parts, while translocation to fruit was very small even when fruit photosynthesis was restricted by the shading treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current foliage photosynthetic products are largely stored in the below-ground parts for survival and future growth, and about one-third of the resources for seed production may be attained by fruit photosynthesis. Therefore, the trade-off between current seed production and subsequent growth is weak. The cost of seed production may be buffered by sufficient storage in the below-ground organs, effective photosynthesis under high irradiation and self-assimilation ability of fruits.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horibata
authors.forename: Shigeaki F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Gaku
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kudo
mesh_terms: D031843:Adonis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D035264:Flowers; D005638:Fruit; D018515:Plant Leaves; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology; D012621:Seasons; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon