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On the ecology and evolution of annual plants in disturbed environments

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Abstract

This paper is concerned with the effect of disturbance on some crucial characteristics of annual plants. The theoretically optimal life-history traits that maximize individual fitness in disturbed environments are described and critically evaluated. It seems that none of them holds for all annual species.

Self-pollination and especially seed polymorphism are considered important adaptations to life in unpredictable environments. The thesis is put forward that amphicarpic annuals, which exhibit both self-pollination and extreme seed polymorphism, are best adapted to life in hazardous habitats. The hypothetical course of the evolution of amphicarpy is demonstrated on the grounds of the comparison of contemporary annual species producing chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers on a single individual.

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  1. Department of Phytosociology and Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany, Warsaw University, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478, Warsaw, Poland

    Ewa Symonides

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Symonides, E. On the ecology and evolution of annual plants in disturbed environments. Vegetatio 77, 21–31 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00045746

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