Université de Fribourg

Life-history variation in contrasting habitats: flowering decisions in a clonal perennial herb (Veratrum album)

Hesse, Elze ; Rees, Mark ; Müller-Schärer, Heinz

In: The American Naturalist, 2008, vol. 172, no. 5, p. E196–E213

Quantifying intraspecific demographic variation provides a powerful tool for exploring the diversity and evolution of life histories. We investigate how habitat-specific demographic variation and the production of multiple offspring types affect the population dynamics and evolution of delayed reproduction in a clonal perennial herb with monocarpic ramets (white hellebore). In this species,...

Université de Fribourg

Seed bank persistence of clonal weeds in contrasting habitats : implications for control

Hesse, Elze ; Rees, Mark ; Müller-Schärer, Heinz

In: Plant Ecology, 2007, vol. 190, no. 2, p. 233-243

The ability of weeds to form a seed bank is important for their population dynamics and management because it provides a refuge enabling reinvasion after established target plants have died. However, knowledge of the differential seed behaviour of individual species over multiple years and varying environmental conditions is surprisingly rare but necessary for effective control of diverse...