Linking seeds and seedlings: Models and mechanisms.

连接种子和幼苗：模型和机制。

• 批准号: NE/H020802/1
• 负责人: Mark Rees
• 金额: $ 50.02万
• 依托单位: University of Sheffield
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2011 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FH020802%2F1
• 关键词: Linking; seeds; seedlings; Models; mechanisms.

Plant species differ in many ways, for example their seed sizes, how fast they grow, and their responses to various environmental stresses (drought, being eaten etc). Understanding if and how these different aspects of plant biology are linked is important for understanding why some species occur in specific habitats, and also for predicting the possible effects of environmental change. In most plants and animals larger organisms tend to be slower growing and survive better. This has important consequences when comparing species of different sizes, because we would like to know if the observed differences in, say growth, are simply a consequence of size, or if other aspects of the biology are important. In this research we will use experiments to explore how growth and survival are related to size, so allowing us to determine whether differences between species are simply a consequence of their sizes or not. Using the experimental results we will then be able to determine whether at a common size, fast growing species suffer increased mortality, and how this varies between habitats. This information when combined with mathematical models allow us to predict the best seed size, and so the one we expect species to produce in the field. Currently the understanding of why species produce very different seed sizes is very limited, making this a particularly exciting aspect of the work. All mathematical models make assumptions and so we will produce more general models incorporating realistic aspects of biology, for example larger seedling will be better than small ones when competing for resources, and explore how this alters the predictions of the models.

植物种类在很多方面都不同，例如它们的种子大小、生长速度以及它们对各种环境压力（干旱、被吃掉等）的反应。了解植物生物学的这些不同方面是否以及如何联系在一起，对于理解为什么一些物种出现在特定的栖息地，以及预测环境变化可能产生的影响非常重要。在大多数植物和动物中，较大的生物体往往生长得较慢，存活得较好。这在比较不同大小的物种时具有重要意义，因为我们想知道观察到的差异，比如生长，是否仅仅是大小的结果，还是生物学的其他方面也很重要。在这项研究中，我们将使用实验来探索生长和生存与大小的关系，从而使我们能够确定物种之间的差异是否仅仅是它们大小的结果。利用实验结果，我们将能够确定在相同的大小下，快速生长的物种是否会遭受更高的死亡率，以及这在不同的栖息地之间是如何变化的。当这些信息与数学模型相结合时，我们就能预测出最佳的种子大小，从而预测出我们期望物种在田间生产的种子大小。目前，人们对不同物种产生不同种子大小的原因的理解非常有限，这使得这项工作成为一个特别令人兴奋的方面。所有的数学模型都有假设，因此我们将产生更一般的模型，结合生物学的现实方面，例如，在争夺资源时，较大的幼苗将比较小的更好，并探索这如何改变模型的预测。

项目成果

Plant growth rates and seed size: a re-evaluation.

• DOI: 10.1890/11-0261.1
• 发表时间: 2012-06
• 期刊: Ecology
• 影响因子: 4.8
• 作者: Lindsay A. Turnbull;Lindsay A. Turnbull;C. Philipson;D. Purves;R. Atkinson;J. Cunniff;A. Goodenough;Y. Hautier;J. Houghton;T. Marthews;C. Osborne;C. Paul-Victor;K. Rose;P. Saner;Samuel H. Taylor;F. Woodward;A. Hector;A. Hector;M. Rees

How to fit nonlinear plant growth models and calculate growth rates: an update for ecologists

• DOI: 10.1111/j.2041-210x.2011.00155.x
• 发表时间: 2012-04-01
• 期刊: METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
• 影响因子: 6.6
• 作者: Paine, C. E. Timothy;Marthews, Toby R.;Turnbull, Lindsay A.
• 通讯作者: Turnbull, Lindsay A.

Does seed mass drive the differences in relative growth rate between growth forms?

• DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0921
• 发表时间: 2013-07-07
• 期刊: PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
• 影响因子: 4.7
• 作者: Houghton, Jennie;Thompson, Ken;Rees, Mark
• 通讯作者: Rees, Mark