Importance of plasticity and decision-making strategies for plant resource acquisition in spatio-temporally variable environments

• Published in: The New phytologist Vol. 174; no. 1; pp. 182 - 193
• Main Authors: Magyar, Gabriella, Kun, Ádám, Oborny, Beáta, Stuefer, Josef F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2007; Blackwell Science; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Adaptation, Biological; cellular automata; changing environment; clonal plant; Computer Simulation; Division of labor; division of labour; Ecological genetics; Ecosystem; Environment; Habitats; Models, Biological; modular organization; Natural resources; Phenotype; Phenotypic plasticity; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plants; Resource availability; Soil resources; spatial heterogeneity; spatial population dynamics; Synecology; Wetland ecology

Plants must cope with environmental variation in space and time. Phenotypic plasticity allows them to adjust their form and function to small-scale variations in habitat quality. Empirical studies have shown that stoloniferous plants can exploit heterogeneous habitats through plastic ramet specializ...