The ecology of hermaphroditic breeding systems

• Peter M. Buston

Abstract
There is an enormous diversity of hermaphroditic breeding systems distributed throughout the plant and animal kingdoms. To gain a greater understanding of this diversity, I propose to investigate the socio-ecological factors that underlie the evolution of these systems. First, I will develop new game-theoretic models, to generate explicit predictions about how ecological, social, and genetic factors combine to influence the distribution of reproduction within the breeding systems of both sequential and simultaneous hermaphrodites. Second, I will synthesize the extensive, but scattered, empirical literature on plant and animal (vertebrate and invertebrate) hermaphroditic breeding systems, gathering data on the socio-ecological factors that theoretical models indicate might give rise to these systems. Third, I will use this database, in conjunction with the comparative method, to test the alternative models, and determine which factors are indeed the key determinants of the different hermaphroditic breeding systems. The research will provide a comprehensive socio-ecological framework within which the breeding systems of all hermaphrodites can be understood. The work is important because understanding the breeding system of a species can be the key to effectively managing and conserving its populations.