Definitions
What is a bulbil?
Asexual vegetative reproductive structure (genetically identical to main plant)
Is A. macroacantha self-compatible?
mostly self-incompatible.
When and where did the experiment take place?
April-May Tehuacan, Puebla, Mexico, in a "botanical garden"
What other ecological factors not considered in this experiment could influence bulbil production?
Any abiotic factors
What type of climate do A. macroacantha live in?
Hot and arid environments
What is a capsule?
Seed pods developed from fertilized flowers
How are the leaves arranged in Agave spp.?
Leaves are arranged in rosettes
What were the three treatments in this study?
Control, pollinator exclusion, floral bud removal
What type of relationship was found between the number of capsules and bulbils produced?
Inverse relationship, negative correlation
How do the bulbil rosettes shed?
Through abscission (detachment) as the stalk dries out
What does self-compatability mean?
Genetic meachinsm where flowering plants prevent self-fertilization by rejecting self-pollen
Can A.macroacantha produce both bulbils and capsules at the same time?
Yes
What was the factor that may have negatively influenced this study?
Grazing by goats
Which treatment group showed an intermediate response in bulbil and capsule production?
Pollinator exclusion
What signals bulbil production to occur?
Bulbil production is triggered by reproductive failure (failed seed production) after flowering is initiated
What does semelparous mean in the context of this study?
The Agave has one large reproductive event in its life cycle, followed by death, during which it diverts all of its energy to reproduction
What evidence predicts when flowering will occur
Thinning of the central leaves of the rosette and color and aspect change of lateral leaves
What was being measured in this study?
Relationship between capsule and bulbil production
What was the proposed explanation for increased bulbil production in A. macroacantha?
Adaptive response to failed seed production
What are the three ways in which cloning is achieved?
Bulbils, rhizomes, and basal shoots
What is a ramet and a genet?
Ramet: a module of a plant that can survive independently of the genetically identical parent plant
Genet: An entire genetic individual originating from a single zygote
What is one of the main pollinators of the Agave spp. that the paper cites?
Nectarivorous bats of the genus Leptonycteris
How many plants were used throughout the experiment?
40 (*), or 50
How did the capsules form in the pollinator exclusion treatment despite no pollinators?
Wind dispersal pollination
What is one reason why goat grazing was not included in the analysis?
It was not a random treatment. An ANOVA of residuals for the group differed greatly from the other treatments