TRADE-OFFS AMONG DISPERSAL STRATEGIES IN BRITISH PLANTS

TRADE-OFFS are of fundamental importance in population biology. They prevent the evolution of a darwinian demon (a species that breeds fast, fives long and is both a good competitor and disperser) and result in the wide range of life histories we observe in nature1. Trade-offs are also thought to be important in ecology, driving successional change and maintaining species diversity2,3. But the demonstration of trade-offs is difficult4,5. Evolutionary theory predicts trade-offs between seed dormancy and (1) seed weight6 and (2) seed Spatial dispersal6,7. Here we present simulation results predicting a third trade-off between seed dormancy and adult longevity. The existence of these trade-offs is tested, to our knowledge for the first time, using modern comparative methods8,9 and data from long-term experiments10-12. The analyses are consistent with the existence of all three trade-offs in nature.