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This book re-examines patterns of relationship between plant life history traits in phylogenetic perspective. It argues that because evolution is a branching process, traits are not randomly distributed across taxa and that as such, analysis of trait correlations cannot treat species as independant data points. It then discusses the use of phylogeny to reconstruct the evolutionary pathways of traits.
Preface; Part I. Phylogenetic Perspectives: 1. Comparing plants and connecting traits J. Silvertown, and M. Dodd; 2. Phylogenetic uncertainties and sensitivity analyses in comparative biology M. Donoghue, and D. Ackerly; 3. Comparative ecology of the native and alien floras of the British Isles M. J. Crawley, P. H. Harvey, and A. Purvis; Part II. Reproductive Traits: 4. The comparative biology of pollination and mating in flowering plants S. C. H. Barrett, L. D. Harder, and A. C. Worley; 5. How does self-pollination evolve? Inferences from floral ecology and molecular genetic variation S. C. H. Barrett, L. D. Harder, and A. C. Worley; 6. Effects of life history traits on genetic diversity in plant species J. L. Hamrick, and M. J. W. Godt; Part III. Evolutionary Ecology of Seed Dormancy and Seed Size: 7. Evolutionary ecology of seed dormancy and seed size J. L. Hamrick, and M. J. W. Godt; 8. Comparative ecology of seed size and dispersal M. Westoby, M. Leishman, and J. Lord; 9. Packaging and provisioning on plant reproduction D. L. Venable; Part IV. Recruitment and Growth: 10. Comparative ecology of clonal plants J. M. van Groenendael, L. Klimes, J. Klimesova, and R. J. J. Hendriks; 11. Life history variation in plants: an exploration of the fast-slow continuum hypothesis M. Franco and J. Silvertown; 12. Life history evolution in heterogenous environments: a review of theory R. M. Sibly; Part V. Interaction: 13. Plant-insect feeding associations D. Futuyma, and C. Mitter; 14. Trends in the evolution of root-microbe symbioses A. H. Fitter, and B. Moyersoen; 15. Competitive ability: definitions, contingency and correlated traits D. Goldberg; Index.
'Plant Life Histories has arrived at an apt moment ! I enjoyed readingPlant Life Histories and recommend it not only to everybody interested in evolutionary ecology, but also to ecologists who may be classsified as 'too ecological'.' Martin Zobel, Trends in Plant Science
