Functional trade-offs and ecological correlates of seed oil traits in alpine ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Seed oil content is a crucial energy reserve in angiosperms, with effects on biological functions and plant fitness, playing an important role in seed protection from environmental conditions. However, the eco-evolutionary role of seed oil traits in natural ecosystems is largely unexplored. We studied functional trade-offs and ecological drivers of seed oil traits in 47 species of an alpine flora. We analysed seed oil content and composition - relative proportion of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids (UFA/SFA) - and their relationships with seed mass, seed longevity, and germination timing. We also tested the response of seed oil traits to species' ecological preferences along microclimatic gradients. Seed oil content ranged from 1% to 34.2%, with the main variation explained by the UFA

SUBMITTER: Espinosa Del Alba C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12631509 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature