Kinship rivalry does not trigger specific allocation strategies in Lupinus angustifolius.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Research on the ability of plants to recognize kin and modify plant development to ameliorate competition with coexisting relatives is an area of very active current exploration. Empirical evidence, however, is insufficient to provide a sound picture of this phenomenon.

Methods

An experiment was designed to assess multi-trait phenotypic expression in response to competition with conspecifics of varied degrees of genealogical relatedness. Groups of siblings, cousins and strangers of Lupinus angustifolius were set in competition in a pots assay. Several whole-plant and organ-level traits, directly related to competition for above- and below-ground resources, were measured. In addition, group-level root proliferation was measured as a key response trait to r

SUBMITTER: Milla R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3380590 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature