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Effects of artificial defoliation on reproductive allocation in the common vetch, Vicia sativa (Fabaceae: Papilionoideae)
Author(s) -
Koptur Suzanne,
Smith Claire L.,
Lawton John. H.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1996.tb12780.x
Subject(s) - biology , vicia sativa , germination , point of delivery , fabaceae , vicia faba , agronomy , botany , horticulture
Previous field experiments have shown that, for the annual herb Vicia sativa , leaf area lost to herbivory results in reduced number of fruit (pods) produced per plant as well as fewer seeds per pod. We conducted a controlled garden experiment to determine the precise relationship between level of defoliation and various measures of maternal fitness through fruit and seed. We employed manual clipping of individual leaflets of newly produced leaves to 25% increments of damage (from 0% to 100%) over the entire period of development and flowering of these annual herbs, harvesting pods when filled but not dehisced. We found significant reduction in number of pods, number of seeds, total seed mass, and individual seed mass with leaf area lost. Even with the highest levels of defoliation over the life of the individual, plants still produced a substantial number of pods and seeds. Seeds produced by plants in all treatment groups showed similar percentages of germination and time to germination.