Evolutionary Ecology of Plant Reproductive Strategies

Evolutionary biologists have produced a solid body of evidence to explain patterns of diversification, both within and among species. Recent textbooks are weighted towards studies of animals, which is surprising given that plants are ideally suited for answering evolutionary questions. Plants do not stand up and walk away and they can easily be cloned, transplanted or potted for experiments. This book aims to set the record straight by placing the wealth of data that have been collected on plants into the unifying framework of game theory. This allows a test of the theory of natural selection in some cases, while in other cases highlighting the need for additional data collection and theoretical development. It is the authors’ hope that many students will take on this challenge and help the study of the evolutionary ecology of plants to develop as a mature, predictive science.