Abstract
For herbaceous plants, in contrast to many higher animals but similarly to other modular and sedentary life forms, it is not so much a question of how senescence progresses as it is a question of whether senescence occurs at all for most species. Overall, both the empirical evidence and theoretical predictions provide contrasting evidence. Monocarpic species and other semelparous life forms are an extreme example of senescence. For polycarpic, iteroparous plants, however, there is only limited evidence that senescence occurs at all. Our review of studies with herbaceous plants also shows that there are only a few studies with detailed age-based demographic data, and here too the evidence for senescence is limited. Moreover, the detrimental effects of ageing are hard to detect in the observational studies upon which most of our current knowledge is built. Our theoretical expectations suggest that it is likely that the evolutionary pressure that shapes senescence in other organisms also acts on plants, but there are also several aspects of plant biology that conflict with some of the assumptions in classical models of the evolution of senescence.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Evolution of Senescence in the Tree of Life |
| Editors | Richard P. Shefferson, Owen R. Jones, Roberto Salguero-Gómez |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Publication date | 2017 |
| Pages | 303-319 |
| Chapter | 15 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781107078505, 9781139939867 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781108139083 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 |
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Demographic senescence in herbaceous plants. / Dahlgren, Johan; Roach, Deborah A.
The Evolution of Senescence in the Tree of Life. ed. / Richard P. Shefferson; Owen R. Jones; Roberto Salguero-Gómez. Cambridge University Press, 2017. p. 303-319.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review
TY - CHAP
T1 - Demographic senescence in herbaceous plants
AU - Dahlgren, Johan
AU - Roach, Deborah A
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - For herbaceous plants, in contrast to many higher animals but similarly to other modular and sedentary life forms, it is not so much a question of how senescence progresses as it is a question of whether senescence occurs at all for most species. Overall, both the empirical evidence and theoretical predictions provide contrasting evidence. Monocarpic species and other semelparous life forms are an extreme example of senescence. For polycarpic, iteroparous plants, however, there is only limited evidence that senescence occurs at all. Our review of studies with herbaceous plants also shows that there are only a few studies with detailed age-based demographic data, and here too the evidence for senescence is limited. Moreover, the detrimental effects of ageing are hard to detect in the observational studies upon which most of our current knowledge is built. Our theoretical expectations suggest that it is likely that the evolutionary pressure that shapes senescence in other organisms also acts on plants, but there are also several aspects of plant biology that conflict with some of the assumptions in classical models of the evolution of senescence.
AB - For herbaceous plants, in contrast to many higher animals but similarly to other modular and sedentary life forms, it is not so much a question of how senescence progresses as it is a question of whether senescence occurs at all for most species. Overall, both the empirical evidence and theoretical predictions provide contrasting evidence. Monocarpic species and other semelparous life forms are an extreme example of senescence. For polycarpic, iteroparous plants, however, there is only limited evidence that senescence occurs at all. Our review of studies with herbaceous plants also shows that there are only a few studies with detailed age-based demographic data, and here too the evidence for senescence is limited. Moreover, the detrimental effects of ageing are hard to detect in the observational studies upon which most of our current knowledge is built. Our theoretical expectations suggest that it is likely that the evolutionary pressure that shapes senescence in other organisms also acts on plants, but there are also several aspects of plant biology that conflict with some of the assumptions in classical models of the evolution of senescence.
U2 - 10.1017/9781139939867.015
DO - 10.1017/9781139939867.015
M3 - Book chapter
SN - 9781107078505
SN - 9781139939867
SP - 303
EP - 319
BT - The Evolution of Senescence in the Tree of Life
A2 - Shefferson, Richard P.
A2 - Jones, Owen R.
A2 - Salguero-Gómez, Roberto
PB - Cambridge University Press
ER -