1 In an asexually reproducing plant ( Potamogeton pectinatus L.) the competitive advantage of a larger propagule over a smaller one was determined by a single parameter ( α , the competitive asymmetry coefficient), independent of sowing density or average propagule size. Competitive advantage was determined by the relative size difference between propagules instead of their absolute difference....

Genome size is a biodiversity trait that shows staggering diversity across eukaryotes, varying over 64,000-fold. Of all major taxonomic groups, land plants stand out due to their staggering genome size diversity, ranging ca. 2400-fold. As our understanding of the implications and significance of this remarkable genome size diversity in land plants grows, it is becoming increasingly evident that...

1. Many plants engage ants in defensive mutualisms by offering extrafloral nectar (EFN). Identifying sources of variation in EFN quantity (amount) and quality (composition) is important because they can affect ant visitation and identity and hence effectiveness of plant defence. 2. I investigated plant size and reproductive state (vegetative or flowering) as sources of variation in EFN quantity...

Malaysian manufacturing has an asymmetrical structure: small and medium-sized enterprises dominate in numbers, but contribute relatively little to total output, employment, and exports as compared to their larger counterparts. In light of an increasingly competitive environment arising from globalization, a sound knowledge of turnover patterns within the sector by plant size and its potential i...

This paper presents a heuristic approach based on genetic algorithm (GA) for solving large-size multi-stage multi-product scheduling problem (MMSP) in batch plant. The proposed approach is suitable for different scheduling objectives, such as total process time, total flow time, etc. In the algorithm, solutions to the problem are represented by chromosomes that will be evolved by GA. A chromoso...

A theoretical relationship between isolation by distance or spatial genetic structure (SGS) and seed and pollen dispersal is tested using extensive spatial-temporal simulations. Although for animals Wright's neighbourhood size N(e) = 4pisigma(2)(t) has been ascertained also, where sigma(2)(t) is the axial variance of distances between parents and offspring, and it was recently confirmed that N(...

Genome sizes vary widely among species, but comprehensive explanations for the emergence of this variation have not been validated. Lynch and Conery (2003) hypothesized that genome expansion is maladaptive, and that lineages with small effective population size (N(e)) evolve larger genomes than those with large N(e) as a consequence of the lowered efficacy of natural selection in small populati...

In this paper we develop a theory of how factors interact at the plant level. The theory has implications for (1) the micro foundations for capital-skill complementarity, (2) the relationship between factor allocation and plant size, and (3) the effects of trade and growth on the skill premium. The theory is consistent with certain facts about factor allocation and factor price changes in the 1...

How do plants determine the number of dividing cells required to optimise root growth and ensure seedling establishment? The signals auxin, cytokinin and gibberellin control the balance between cell division and differentiation by regulating SHY2.

Physical laws and processes have profoundly influenced plant evolution. Their effects are invariably size dependent and thus subject to scaling as well as biophysical analyses even though these effects differ depending upon the fluid (water or air) in which plants evolve. Although organisms cannot obviate the effects of physical laws and processes, the consequences of these effects can be alter...