Spatial patterning and floral synchrony among trillium populations with contrasting histories of herbivory

PeerJ
Christopher R WebsterAaron J Poznanovic

Abstract

We investigated the spatial patterning and floral synchrony within and among populations of a non-clonal, forest understory herb, Trillium catesbaei. Two populations of T. catesbaei within Great Smoky Mountains National Park were monitored for five years: Cades Cove (high deer abundance) and Whiteoak Sink (low deer abundance). All individuals within each population were mapped during year one and five. Only flowering and single-leaf juveniles were mapped during intervening years. Greater distances between flowering plants (plants currently in flower) and substantially lower population densities and smaller patch sizes were observed at Cades Cove versus Whiteoak Sink. However, with the exception of flowering plants, contrasting histories of herbivory did not appear to fundamentally alter the spatial patterning of the T. catesbaei population at Cades Cove, an area with a long and well-documented history of deer overabundance. Regardless of browse history, non-flowering life stages were significantly clustered at all spatial scales examined. Flowering plants were clustered in all years at Whiteoak Sink, but more often randomly distributed at Cades Cove, possibly as a result of their lower abundance. Between years, however, there w...Continue Reading

References

Feb 12, 2005·Science·James B McGraw, Mary Ann Furedi
Jul 21, 2005·The American Naturalist·Martin T MorganTiffany M Knight
Aug 19, 2008·The American Naturalist·Mark ReesOttar N Bjørnstad
May 2, 2009·Journal of Theoretical Biology·Danielle LylesPatrick H Brown
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Apr 11, 2014·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Susan C Cook-PattonJohn D Parker

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