亲缘选择在植物从营养分配向繁殖分配转变中的潜在作用

Potential role of kin selection in the transition from vegetative to reproductive allocation in plants

根据经典的最优繁殖分配理论,植物生长过程中从营养生长向繁殖分配的转变是突然发生的。一些植物确实如此,这也是农作物产量最大化的一种有效策略。然而,自然界很多植物从营养生长向繁殖分配的转变是渐进发生的。一些修正的生物量分配理论也预测了这种渐变趋势。本研究假设亲缘选择能够改变最优分配理论的预测。通过数学模型,我们研究了正负亲缘选择对植物向繁殖器官分配能量起始时间的影响。基于代价与收益的合理假设,当繁殖器官与营养器官起始生物量比值较高时,处于亲缘选择作用下的植物更可能以一种突变的方式实现从营养生长向繁殖生长的转变。经验数据的观测支持我们的理论预测。这一研究在连接植物生活史与能量分配以及提高农业产量方面具有重要意义。

According to the original optimal reproductive allocation theory,plants should shift from vegetative growth to reproductive allocation abruptly and completely.Some plants do this,and it is also considered a good strategy for crop plants to maximize yield,but most plants shift gradually.Modified versions of the theory predict such a gradual transition from growth to reproduction.We hypothesize that kin selection can also alter the predictions of optimal allocation theory.We investigated the theoretical implications of both positive and negative kin selection on the timing of plant reproductive development using mathematical models.Under reasonable assumptions of costs and benefits,plants under kin selection are more likely to shift from growth to reproduction in an abrupt way when the initial value of the ratio between reproductive and vegetative biomass is high.Supported by empirical observations,our theoretical predictions have important implications in linking life history and energy allocation as well as for improving yields in agriculture.