Module III Summary

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Summary

In this module, you have examined a variety of ecological processes associated with plants and their reproduction. These processes do not occur alone: pollination often involves more than one species, as does seed dispersal. We examine more intra- and interspecific interactions in Module 4. We concentrated on plant reproduction, as plants form the structural elements of forest ecosystems.

There is a huge variety of different mechanisms and processes involved in the life cycles of plants. Some are unique to particular species whereas others are shared widely. Plants have developed different traits that enable them to exploit specific situations better, but these often involve tradeoffs.

A significant amount of energy is devoted to reproduction. Some plants concentrate so much energy into flowering and seed set that they die after flowering, with bamboos being a well-known example. Others flower year after year, with only a few propagules surviving. Others in the ecosystem benefit: flowers, fruit and seed are important parts of the diet of many species, and some species are exclusively frugivorous or granivorous. Consequently, an understanding of reproduction is a critical element to understanding the ecosystem as a whole.

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