Question

Each pumpkin has about 500 seeds inside. Each seed has the potential to grow into a new pumpkin plant during the next summer. Few seeds, though, will grow to a reproductive age. How would you describe a pumpkin's life history?

1) r-selected
2) intermediate between r- and K-selected
3) K-selected

Answer 1

Pumpkin plants exhibit an r-selected (option 1) reproductive strategy as they produce around 500 seeds with only a few surviving and growing into mature plants. This approach focuses on quantity over the survival and care of each individual offspring, which is characteristic of r-selected species.

Step-by-step explanation:

Life History of a Pumpkin Plant

When considering the life history strategy of pumpkin plants, it is clear that they follow an r-selected reproductive strategy. According to the characteristics described in the question, a pumpkin produces approximately 500 seeds, which suggests that the plant invests most of its energy into producing a large number of seeds. However, only a few of these seeds will survive to germinate and grow into mature, reproductive plants.

This reproductive strategy aligns with the r-selected species' traits, where the focus is on high reproductive rates with less energy invested in the survival of each individual offspring. The fact that most pumpkin seeds do not reach reproductive maturity further illustrates this point. In contrast, K-selected species concentrate on producing fewer offspring but with a higher investment in each individual's survival and likelihood of reaching reproductive age.

Pumpkins, specifically, allocate a lot of energy to the production of a multitude of seeds, rather than concentrating on the survival and development of a few offspring. Therefore, given the options provided, the pumpkin's life history can be best described as r-selected due to the large number of seeds produced and the relatively lower survival rate of those seeds.