plant ecology 1

value of nature beyond aesthetics; what humans get from plants and animals

• 1. provisioning (food, raw materials, water, medicinal)
• 2. regulating  (local climate, pollination, air quality, buffers)
• 3. supporting (habitat for species, genetic diversity)
• 4. cultural (recreation, mental and physical health, tourism $)

• study of relationships between living organisms and their environments, one another and organisms in nature.
• plant ecology focuses on plants

• patterns- relationships in nature
• processes- causes of patterns
• theory- explanations of processes

reproduce shortly after germination and die within the year (weeds, crops)

must reach certain size before reproduction but survive long and reproduce many times (trees, flowers)

reproduce in a single bout

reproduce repeatedly

timing of growth and reproduction within a year

seed predation

survival, growth & reproduction

a period of cool or cold temperatures

germinate in autumn, over winter as vegetative plants and die in spring

complete above ground livecycle in warms months

• semelparous plants that flower after two or more years
• retreat underground

• live for a number of years before flowering
• stay above ground

• product of a single seed
• genetically distinct individuals

• independent unit of a genet
• not necessarily genetically distinct

study of changes in numbers, compositing and spatial dispersion within a population

factors affecting population growth depend on number of individuals per unit area

ungerminated seeds persist in the soil from year to year

individual must leave to new population

fragment can leave but genet must stay put

defined by combination of age, life history, size & other status

a description of the frequency of each class

reproductive rate and chance of surviving

act of emerging from seeds/spores and beginning to grow

Diameter breast height- measure of tree size

• flawed way  of studying long lived plants
• makes too many assumptions

vital rates can vary as a result of environmental facters that affect all in the same stage class the same way

chance variations in the fates of individuals

• balance between sand, silt and clay soil
• best for agriculture

• at least 50% sand
• doesnt hold water or minerals well
• very aerated

• can hold a lot of water and holds minerals well (as well as pollutants and pesticides)
• poor aeration and water flow

intermediate between sand and clayey soils

upper layers of heterogenous mass that's left over from forces on rocks

volcanic origin

depostion from other rocks

changed by great pressure on other rocks

A fungus that grows in association with the roots of a plant in a symbiotic or mildly pathogenic relationship.

• three types=
• AM
• ERICOID
• ORCHIDACEOUS

• type of endomycorrhizae
• makes muscles

• type of endomycorrhizae
• specialized for symbioses with plant species

symbioses with orchids

both ECM and ericoid

evidence

seeds in soil

boundaries of population, physical limit

what grows where

• growth patterns
• wider ring = healthier year

• determinant to where plants grow, can be dormant for years
• disturbance = growth

• types of soil
• climate
• disease and insects
• disasters

• reproduction
• dispersal
• feed the embryo
• protect the embryo
• persistance
• genetic diversity

• increase in numbers
• number of seeds doesn't equal number of seedlings

• movement 
• uses energy & nutrients

• natural selection
• adaptation to changing climates

with numerous ramets

• mechanics
• degree of exploration
• growth following resources
• degree of integration

branches that spread out just above the soil

underground horizontal stems

underground stems that store nutrients

asexually production of seeds

• haploid generation
• produces gametes

• diploid generation
• procuces spores

petals and sepals together

transfer of pollen from the male anther to the female stigma

a plant that has seeds unprotected by fruits

• a plant that produces flowers and produces seeds in a carpel
• attract pollinators with scent, nectar, colors

• carpel
• stigma
• style
• ovary
• ovules

where pollen sticks

tube that connects stigma to ovary

becomes the fruit

becomes the seed

• anther
• filament
• pollen

produces pollen

holds anther

male gamete

tube grows to egg

dichogamy and herkogamy

temporal separation

spatial separation

• new ramets supported for extended periods of time
• whole clone benefits from one good ramets
• can relocate to stressed parts of clone
• correlates branching and growth
• avoid seedling/baby stage
• successful genotypes co-opts resources
• movement is possible leaving bad environment

• resources and respiration to maintain
• local stress of damage may affect whole plant
• growth, survival & reproduction of ramets may be sacrificed to save one
• disease may spread rapidly
• meristems used up
• few seeds available