The role of seed reserves on the ability to resprout and on the responses of resprouting in Araucaria angustifoliawas investigated. Seedlings were separated into three groups: plants which had their shoot damaged, a similar group in which damaged plants had their connection to the supporting seed removed, and a control group. All damaged seedlings resprouted, but those which remained connected to their seeds had a greater mass of resprouted shoots than the ones disconnected from their seeds. A greater accumulation of seed mass in the underground hypocotyl was a very distinct initial response to damage, but, on the long run, damaged plants were able to reestablish a biomass allocation pattern, which was very similar to the control plants. These results... |