Ramet Demography of Allium Tricoccum, A Spring Ephemeral, Perennial Forest Herb

Allium tricoccum is a long-lived perennial, harvested for its edible bulbs. This study provides precise information on vital rates in vulnerable populations at the northern limits of its distribution in southern Quebec. A dense population was studied for 5 years, by mapping 18 1-m × 1-m plots and measuring all ramets to estimate annual mortality, recruitment, growth, sexual and asexual reproduction rates. Ramets were classified both by their size and flowering status. A stage-classified projection matrix model was used to reveal population trends. Elasticity analyses and simulations were performed to identify the demographic variables most relevant to population growth and to estimate the effect of harvests. All vital rates estimated were closely size-dependent, and differed greatly between sterile and flowering ramets (...)