Topic: semelparity and iteroparity
Difficulty: medium
Lobelia telekii and its relative, L. keniensis, both grow on Mount Kenya in Africa. L. telekii grows on dry rocky slopes whose resources for reproduction (particularly moisture) are highly variable in time and space. L. keniensis is found in moist valley bottoms with more stable moisture supplies. Which species is semelparous?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Based on the information provided, L. telekii is more likely to be semelparous as it grows in an environment with highly variable resources for reproduction, suggesting that it may invest all its energy into reproducing in one big effort before dying. L. keniensis, on the other hand, is found in an environment with more stable resources, suggesting that it may be iteroparous and able to reproduce multiple times throughout its lifespan.

Topic: Semelparity and Iteroparity