open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/90760

The selective advantage of mast flowering in Veratrum album subsp. oxysepalum : Implications of the predator satiation hypothesis

英語

predator satiation

2022-12

John Wiley & Sons

American Journal of Botany

109(12)

2082-2092

PremiseSynchronous, highly variable flower or seed production among years within a population (i.e., masting) has been reported in numerous perennial plants. Although masting provides ecological advantages such as enhancing pollination efficiency and/or escape from predator attack, little is known about the degree of these advantages and variations in masting behavior among populations of conspecific plants. MethodsWe determined flowering ramet density and reproductive success (fruit-set success and herbivorous damage) of a perennial herb, Veratrum album subsp. oxysepalum, across six lowland and six alpine populations in northern Japan during 2-3 years. We then analyzed the relationship between floral density and reproductive success to assess the ecological significance of mast flowering. Flowering intervals of individual plants were estimated by counting annual scars on rhizomes. ResultsMost populations had mast flowering, but the intervals between flowering for individual plants were shorter in the alpine populations than in the lowland populations. Floral damage by stem borers (dipteran larvae) and seed predation by lepidopteran larvae were intense in the lowland populations. Seed production of individual ramets increased with higher floral density owing to the effective avoidance of floral-stem damage and seed predation. Although stem borers were absent in the alpine habitat, seed predation decreased with higher floral density also in the alpine populations. Pollination success was independent of floral density in both of the alpine and lowland populations. ConclusionsThese results strongly support the predator satiation hypothesis for mast flowering by this species.

学術雑誌論文

Accepted Manuscript

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Yohei Ito, Gaku Kudo. 2022. The selective advantage of mast flowering in Veratrum album subsp. oxysepalum : Implications of the predator satiation hypothesis. American Journal of Botany 109(12): 2082-2092, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16089. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.

0002-9122

AA0004840X