A comparative study of seed number, seed size, seedling size and recruitment in grassland plants

Abstract

In this study we analyse relationships between seed number, seed size, seedling size and recruitment success in grassland plants. The often hypothesised trade‐off between seed size and seed number was supported by a cross‐species analysis and by an analysis of 35 phylogenetically independent contrasts, derived from a data‐set of 72 species. Apart from among‐species relatedness, we also controlled for possible confounding effect of plant size that may influence both seed size and seed number. A sowing experiment with 50 species was performed in the field. The seeds were sown in a grassland and subjected to two treatments, disturbance and undisturbed sward. Evidence for seed‐limited recruitment was obtained for 45 of the species. Disturbance had a significant, or nearly significant, positive effect on recruitment for 16 of the 45 species. The relative recruitment in undisturbed sward increased with increased seed size, and both recruitment success and seedling size were positively related to seed size. We suggest that a trade‐off between competitive ability and number of recruitment opportunities follows from the trade‐off between seed size and seed number, through a causal chain from seed size via seedling size to recruitment success. The relationships between seed size, seed number and recruitment may be an important underlying mechanism for abundance and dynamics of plant species in grassland vegetation. This is an example of a direct link between evolutionary life‐history theory, and theory of plant community structure.