Am Nat. 2019 Aug;194(2):246-259. doi: 10.1086/704111. Epub 2019 Jun 27.
Synchronized and variable reproduction by perennial plants, called mast seeding, is a major reproductive strategy of trees. The need to accumulate sufficient resources after depletion following fruiting (resource budget), the efficiency of mass flowering for outcross pollination (pollen coupling), or the external factors preventing reproduction (environmental veto) could all synchronize masting. We used seed production data for four species (, , , and ) to parametrize resource budget models of masting. Based on species life-history characteristics, we hypothesized that pollen coupling should synchronize reproduction in and , while in and , environmental veto should be a major factor. Pollen coupling was stronger in and than in oaks, while veto was more frequent in the latter. Yet in all species, costs of reproduction were too small to impose a replenishment period. A synchronous environmental veto, in the presence of environmental stochasticity, was sufficient to produce observed variability and synchrony in reproduction. In the past, vetoes like frost events that prevent reproduction have been perceived as negative for plants. In fact, they could be selectively favored as a way to create mast seeding.
多年生植物的同步和可变性繁殖，称为结实，是树木的主要繁殖策略。在果实（资源预算）耗尽后需要积累足够的资源，用于异花授粉的大量开花的效率（花粉耦合），或阻止繁殖的外部因素（环境否决）都可以同步结实。我们使用四个物种（，，，和）的种子生产数据来参数化结实的资源预算模型。基于物种的生活史特征，我们假设在和中，花粉耦合应该同步繁殖，而在和中，环境否决应该是一个主要因素。和中花粉耦合比栎属更强烈，而后者否决更频繁。然而，在所有物种中，繁殖成本太小，无法产生补充期。在存在环境随机性的情况下，同步环境否决足以产生观察到的繁殖变异性和同步性。过去，像阻止繁殖的霜事件等否决因素被认为对植物不利。事实上，它们可以被选择性地青睐，作为一种制造结实的方式。
