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KMID : 1161519980020010055
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Animal Cells and Systems
1998 Volume.2 No. 1 p.55 ~ p.63
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Consequence of Floral herbivory in Vicia cracca (Leguminosae)
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Kang Hye-Soon
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Abstract
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The effects of inflorescence herbivory and flowering time on plant architecture and reproductive yields were examined with a perennial herbacious species, Vicia cracca, occurring in Natick, Massachusetts, USA. Natural herbivory on inflorescences was observed among the total of 157 plants during a growing season. Vegetative and reproductive characters were measured in the field as well as in the lab depending on the characters. Approximately 64% of the plants were subjected to herbivory on inflorescences. Plants were classified into three groups; unbrowsed plants, partially browsed, and totally browsed plants, according to the level of herbivory on inflorescences of each plant. Plants were also categorized by their flowering time such as early vs late flowering plants. Herbivores tended to favor inflorescences on rather small plants, resulting in a pattern of totally intact or partially intact inflorescences on taller plants. The mean number of stems, which was assumed to be a direct result of severe herbivory in this population, differed among herbivory groups. There also was a tendency that plants flowering late in the season had more nodes with more leaves, suggesting that herbivory on stem tips early in the season before flowering might have induced growth of side branches or branch lets along the main stems. Comparison between unbrowsed and partially browsed plants showed that the latter compensated for browsing in terms of numbers of inflorescences, fruits, seeds and seed size (weight), though they did not compensate in flower number. The probability of fruit production (presence vs absence of fruits) and seed weight declined toward the end of the season. These results suggest that resources are deficient at the end of the season. Almost complete reproductive failure in totally browsed plants is attributed to the destruction of inflorescence display and the disadvantage of small vegetative size of those plants. After all, in this population, a moderate level of herbivory on inflorescences did not reduce the maternal fitness of the plants. However, severe herbivory on inflorescences resulted in antagonistic interactions between plants and herbivores
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KEYWORD
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Floral herbivory, Flowering phenology, Architecture, Reproductive yields, Vicia cracca
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