Final answer:
The correct answer is C. The characteristic of completing a life cycle shortly after rain and then entering dormancy refers to ephemeral plants. These plants adapt to brief favorable conditions, rapidly growing, reproducing, and then lying dormant until the next suitable period for germination.
Step-by-step explanation:
The timing of an entire life cycle into a few days after a rain and then followed by a long period of dormancy is a characteristic of ephemeral plants. Ephemeral plants, like those found in the Australian desert or spring beauties (Claytonia virginica), exploit short bursts of favorable conditions, rapidly completing their growth and reproductive cycle before entering a dormant phase. Their life strategy allows them to avoid competition and predation by syncing their lifecycle with brief favorable periods.
Ephemeral plants are unique in that their adaptation to survive includes short life cycles synchronized with external environmental cues, such as rainfall for desert ephemerals or availability of light before the canopy closes for spring ephemerals. After these plants flower and set seeds, they can remain dormant for extended periods, waiting for the next favorable conditions to germinate.
Phenology is the study of the timing of life cycle events in organisms. For ephemeral plants, phenology is crucial for survival given that they need to time their growth and reproductive phases precisely with environmental factors like rainfall, temperature, and light availability.