Question

1. Explain how the evolutionary “decision” to reproduce early or late in the summer could be related to a plant’s fundamental niche. (That is, use just abiotic environmental factors to explain why a plant might reproduce early or late.)

2. Explain how the evolutionary “decision” to reproduce early or late in the summer could be related to a plant’srealized niche. (That is, use just biotic interactions to explain why a plant might reproduce early or late.)

3. What benefit do woody perennials gain by delaying their reproduction?

Answer 1

1- The decision to reproduce early and late depends on the favourable conditions a plant experiences during its time for reproduction. The fundamental niche encompasses the entire area available to a plant hence it can use not just a patch of land and restricts its growth but can widely reproduce and grown in a larger area. The environmental conditions mainly governed by the abiotic factors will not affect the plant growth to the extent of limiting its reproduction as a wider area is used and poor abiotic factors at a particular area will allow other areas to work according to their existing favourable conditions. Hence a plant can overcome the loss if it occurs at a particular place and freely grow in other areas as the fundamental niche allows wide area usage. Both early and late reproduction in the fundamental niche will support plant growth.

2- Realised niche provide the actual patch of land where a plant will grow and restricts itself for reproduction. The early reproduction will be favourable as the abiotic conditions if worsen may not allow the plant to reproduce further. The plants detect the changing environmental conditions hence the decision to reproduce early will be beneficial for reproduction. Also, the biotic factors will limit the plant to utilise only those resources that are only available in the realised niche hence areas are inaccessible for growth. The biotic limitations will play a major role in deciding the time of reproduction, favouring early reproduction.

3. The woody perennials delay reproduction to avoid bad abiotic conditions and protect the plant from losing its natural environment by silencing the activities of growth and resuming it when the conditions are favourable for reproduction.