Drivers of vegetative dormancy across herbaceous perennial plant species
Abstract
Vegetative dormancy, that is the temporary absence of aboveground growth for ≥ 1 year, is paradoxical, because plants cannot photosynthesise or flower during dormant periods. We test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses for its widespread persistence. We show that dormancy has evolved numerous times. Most species displaying dormancy exhibit life‐history costs of sprouting, and of dormancy. Short‐lived and mycoheterotrophic species have higher proportions of dormant plants than long‐lived species and species with other nutritional modes. Foliage loss is associated with higher future dormancy levels, suggesting that carbon limitation promotes dormancy. Maximum dormancy duration is shorter under higher precipitation and at higher latitudes, the latter suggesting an important role for competition or herbivory. Study length affects estimates of some demographic parameters. Our results identify life historical and environmental drivers of dormancy. We also highlight the evolutionary importance of the little understood costs of sprouting and growth, latitudinal stress gradients and mixed nutritional modes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Mar 25, 2018
- Source ID
- 10.1111/ele.12940
Entities
People
- Ana Mendoza
- Anne Jäkäläniemi
- Asbjørn Moen
- Dag‐inge Øien
- Dennis F. Whigham
- Derek S. Anderson
- Emilia Brzosko
- Eric S. Menges
- Hans Jacquemyn
- Helen M. Alexander
- Jana Jersáková
- Juha Tuomi
- Kadri Tali
- Katharine Gregg
- Kimberly M. Kellett
- Kirsi Alahuhta
- Marc‐andré Selosse
- Melissa K. Mccormick
- Michael J. Hutchings
- Michael T. Miller
- Mélanie Roy
- Nancy Sather
- Nina Sletvold
- Rein Brys
- Richard B. Primack
- Richard P. Shefferson
- Robert J. Warren Ii
- Slavomir Dostálik
- Sonja Hurskainen
- Tiiu Kull
- W. Dean Kettle
- Zdeněk Ipser
- Zuzana Štípková
- Ülle Püttsepp
Organizations
- Archbold Biological Station
- Boston University
- Buffalo State University
- Estonian University of Life Sciences
- Fondation de France
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
- National Autonomous University of Mexico
- National Park Service
- National Science Centre Poland
- National Science Foundation
- Natural Resources Canada
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
- Smithsonian Institution
- United States Army
- United States Forest Service
- University of Białystok
- University of Gdańsk
- University of Georgia
- University of Kansas
- University of Oulu
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
- University of Sussex
- University of Tokyo
- University of Toulouse
- University of Turku
- Uppsala University
- West Virginia Wesleyan College