LE3 .A278 2008

2008

Avila-Sakar, German
Good-Avila, Sara

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Biology

Biology

Males and females of a dioecious species differ in resource allocation during reproduction. In the dioecious shrub 'Ilex glabra', male plants expend resources on a relatively large floral display compared to the female plant. However, female plants allocate resources towards fruit and seed production following flowering, while male plants no longer contribute resources towards reproduction. According to the resource allocation hypothesis, reproductive dimorphism allows for variation to exist among functions other than those associated with reproduction, such as growth and herbivore defense. This study presents evidence that males and females utilize differing strategies when responding to defoliation with males producing a larger floral display and females increasing leaf production. In addition, data collected from leaf scans collected at different life history periods indicates a tradeoff between increased leaf size and reproduction. These results are consistent with the resource allocation hypothesis by providing evidence of tradeoffs between growth and reproduction.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:2757