University of Montana
Wildlife Biology Program
4:10 p.m. in Jour 304
Mathematical Sciences | The University of Montana
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Elizabeth Crone University of Montana Wildlife Biology Program |
| I n most plant species, reproduction is distributed bimodally over time, with high or low flowering years more common than "average" years. These fluctuations affect plant population dynamics, as well as populations of numerous animal species. In the past, ecologists have attempted to explain these patterns through correlations with weather or climate variables, with mixed success. Recently, theoretical ecologists have demonstrated that nonlinear dynamics of resource allocation to flowering at the individual level can make individuals flower at regular or erratic intervals. Given nonlinear dynamics within individuals, only small amounts of external forcing are necessary to generate population-level synchrony. I compared the ability of a number of resource models to explain alternate-year flowering in a perennial wildflower, Astragalus scaphoides (Bitterroot milkvetch). Pollen limitation in low-flowering years and differences among individuals in resource gain were necessary and sufficient to generate patterns seen in natural populations. More obvious drivers of synchrony, such as variation in temperature and precipitation, were not sufficient to generate synchrony. I compare these modeling results to statistical and experimental approaches to understanding flowering dynamics, and discuss implications for predicting flowering and fruiting in a broad array of plant species. |
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Thursday, 11 March 2004 4:10 p.m. in Jour 304 |
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2004 Colloquium Schedule Mathematical Sciences | The University of Montana |
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