Effects of resource availability on the trade-off between seed and vegetative reproduction

Aims To explore whether the trade-off between seed and vegetative reproductive modes is flexible in environments with different amounts of available resources to maintain optimal behaviors. Methods A transition matrix model was established to determine the optimal trade-off between seed and vegetative reproduction in resources-variable habitats. Important Findings The model predicts that plants allocate more resources to seed reproduction when available resources are scarce. With increasing resources, more vegetative propagules are produced. However, if resources keep increasing to a harmful level, plants would switch to seeds again.