Rich but not poor conditions determine sex-specific differences in growth rate of juvenile dioecious plants.

ABSTRACT: Causes of secondary sexual dimorphism (SSD) in dioecious plants are very poorly understood, especially in woody plants. SSD is shown mainly in mature plants, but little is known about whether secondary sexual dimorphism can occur in juveniles. It is also assumed that stress conditions intensify differences between the sexes due to the uneven reproductive effort. Therefore, the following research hypotheses were tested: (1) secondary sexual dimorphism will be visible in juveniles; (2) unfavourable soil conditions are the cause of more pronounced differences between the sexes. Rooted shoots of the common yew (Taxus baccata L.) and common juniper (Juniperus communis L.), previously harvested from parental individuals of known sex were used in the study. During two growing seasons vegetation p

SUBMITTER: Nowak K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8364908 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature