Question

According to research done by Kaoru Kitajima, shade-tolerant seedlings growing in a tropical rain forest

A) utilize seed reserves over longer periods of time than do shade-intolerant seedlings.
B) develop more rapidly than do shade-intolerant seedlings.
C) initially allocate most of their energy to the production of leaves.
D) generally grow from very small seeds.

Answer 1

Shade-tolerant seedlings in tropical rainforests utilize seed reserves over longer periods of time compared to shade-intolerant seedlings. This is because shade-tolerant seedlings do not have enough light for photosynthesis and rely on their seed reserves until they can reach sufficient light.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the research done by Kaoru Kitajima, shade-tolerant seedlings growing in a tropical rainforest will utilize seed reserves over longer periods of time than shade-intolerant seedlings. This is because seedlings growing in the shade of a mature plant do not have enough light to promote photosynthesis, and small seeds with limited reserves can sustain growth until seedlings can reach enough light for photosynthesis.