Ecology and evolution of reproductive diversity in flowering plants

约350,000种开花植物表现出显著的生殖适应多样性，从雌雄同体到两性生殖的繁殖系统，从完全自花受精到完全异花受精的交配系统，以及似乎无限多样的花卉设计和展示。这种多样性在很大程度上代表了生殖功能的差异，所以我的研究解决了设计和展示的作用，特别是授粉和交配环境，以及它们对植物繁殖进化的影响。我的发现赠款提案确定了四套从不同角度解决生殖多样性问题的项目。1)两个项目将解决花茎上三维花卉排列的功能和对其进化的限制。2)四个项目将考虑在花期改变个体植物的生殖特征，以促进雌性和雄性的成功。3)四个项目将审查生殖资源的分配，特别是碳资源的分配及其对相互竞争的生殖功能的分配。4)五个项目将测试关于植物的特征是否会影响对影响交配成功的性状的选择的假设。这15个项目从互补的角度探讨植物的生殖多样性，从特定性状的功能到交配系统的进化。这种以假设为导向的研究包括了解决旧问题的新方法，并将以前未探索的主题暴露在尖锐的探究中。除了这些对了解开花植物生殖多样性的基本贡献外，这项研究还将培养至少10名研究生科学家，并为至少20名本科生提供研究经验。

The ~350,000 species of flowering plants exhibit remarkable diversity of reproductive adaptations, with breeding systems ranging from dioecy to hermaphroditism, mating systems ranging from complete self-fertilization to complete cross-fertilization, and a seemingly limitless variety of floral design and display. Much of this diversity represents differences in reproductive function, so my research addresses the roles of design and display in particular pollination and mating environments and their implications for the evolution of plant reproduction. My Discovery Grant proposal identifies four sets of projects that address reproductive diversity from a variety of perspectives. 1) Two projects will address the function of the 3-dimensional arrangement of flowers on flowering stalks and constraints on its evolution. 2) Four projects will consider changes in the reproductive characteristics of individual plants during the flowering season as means of promoting female and male success. 3) Four projects will examine the allocation of resources, especially carbon, to reproduction and its allocation to competing reproductive functions. 4) Five projects will test hypotheses about whether characteristic features of being a plant affect selection on traits that affect mating success. These 15 projects address the reproductive diversity of plants from complementary perspectives, from the function of specific traits to the evolution of mating systems. This hypothesis-driven research includes new approaches to old problems and exposes previously unexplored subjects to incisive inquiry. In addition to these fundamental contributions to understanding reproductive diversity of flowering plants, this research will educate at least 10 post-graduate scientists and provide research experience for at least 20 undergraduate students.