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Seed Dispersal And Reproduction Patterns Among Everglades Plants, Ronald E. Mossman
Seed Dispersal And Reproduction Patterns Among Everglades Plants, Ronald E. Mossman
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In this study three aspects of sexual reproduction in Everglades plants were examined to more clearly understand seed dispersal and the allocation of resources to sexual reproduction— spatial dispersal process, temporal dispersal of seeds (seedbank), and germination patterns in the dominant species, sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense). Community assembly rules for fruit dispersal were deduced by analysis of functional traits associated with this process. Seedbank ecology was investigated by monitoring emergence of germinants from sawgrass soil samples held under varying water depths to determine the fate of dispersed seeds. Fine-scale study of sawgrass fruits yielded information on contributions to variation in sexually …
The Effect Of Male-Male Competition And Its Underlying Regulatory Mechanisms On The Electric Signal Of The Gymnotiform Fish Brachyhypopomus Gauderio, Vielka Lineth Salazar
The Effect Of Male-Male Competition And Its Underlying Regulatory Mechanisms On The Electric Signal Of The Gymnotiform Fish Brachyhypopomus Gauderio, Vielka Lineth Salazar
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Sexually-selected communication signals can be used by competing males to settle contests without incurring the costs of fighting. The ability to dynamically regulate the signal in a context-dependent manner can further minimize the costs of male aggressive interactions. Such is the case in the gymnotiform fish Brachyhypopomus gauderio, which, by coupling its electric organ discharge (EOD) waveform to endocrine systems with circadian, seasonal, and behavioral drivers, can regulate its signal to derive the greatest reproductive benefit. My dissertation research examined the functional role of the EOD plasticity observed in male B. gauderio and the physiological mechanisms that regulate the enhanced …