The Plastic Growth Responses of Three Agamospecies of Dandelion to Two Levels of Nutrient

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Abstract
The ability of a genotype to produce different phenotypes in response to variable environments is a crucial aspect of life history strategies as it determines the shape of the fitness set for the population. Apomictic dandelions generate little genetic variation between parent and offspring and plasticity is the main strategy in the face of environmental variability. The plastic response of three coexisiting dandelions has been measured over two nutrient regimes. Cyclical growth patterns are species specific and in some cases independent of nutrient levels. Differences between the agamospecies are greater at high nutrient levels and the agamospecies appear to produce only one phenotype at low nutrient levels.