Re: [aroid-l] How does A. titanum do it?

I think it is time for a short run-down on Amorphophallus titanum ecology.
It IS a plant of quite heavily disturbed areas with well-developed secondary
forest. It lives often in quite discernable populations in old Hevea
plantations with secondary forest in between the Heveas. Then again,
seemingly totally isolated plants also occur. I guess that with molecules
being detected by insects over enormous distances, finding out where a
titanum flowers is not that much of a problem for the right insect. We found
several titanum inflorescences in the same general area in different stages
of maturing or dying, so cross-pollinations would certainly have been
possible.

Generally Amorphs are members of disturbed systems. Even as pioneers when
they are found in very open and recent plantations in deforested areas.
Their usual ecology is slopes and slopes are notorious for their unbalanced
ecology. They do like extra light and mostly do not thrive in dense forest.

Wilbert, lord etc., etc.



> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: aroid-l-owner@lists.ncsu.edu
> [a*@lists.ncsu.edu]Namens MossyTrail@cs.com
> Verzonden: vrijdag 13 september 2002 5:31
> Aan: aroid-l@lists.ncsu.edu
> Onderwerp: Re: [aroid-l] How does A. titanum do it?
>
>
> In a message dated 9/12/2002 7:22:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> callen@fairchildgarden.org writes:
>
>
> > The conclusion of the conversation with my friend was that
> it seemed rather
> > odd that a species (or many) had evolved into such a
> precarious corner!
> >
>
> In a stable environment, they can get away with it.  Once it
> destabilizes,
> they find themselves a dead end.  Usually generalists, not
> specialists, are
> the founders of the great evolutionary radiations.
>
> In the absence of large-scale disturbance (including human
> activity), each
> plant need only replace itself, producing one surviving
> offspring in the
> course of its life.  In the presence of such disturbance,
> when part of the
> population is destroyed, then those species with higher
> reproductive rates
> flourish (i.e., each plant surviving the upheaval replaces
> both itself and
> one or more of those lost).
>
> Jason Hernandez
> Naturalist-at-Large
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