Citation
The shade-avoidance syndrome: multiple signals and ecological consequences
TL;DR
Shade avoidance is an all-or-nothing survival gamble
This paper provides deeper biological context on shade avoidance syndrome, exploring how plants make the all-or-nothing gamble of etiolation. The ecological consequences described - success leading to mode-switching and failure leading to death - parallel the existential choices companies face when their core markets are threatened.
The analysis of multiple signal integration and threshold-based decision-making offers insights into how organizations might structure their own response to competitive displacement.
Key Findings from Ballaré & Pierik (2017)
- Shade avoidance is an all-or-nothing survival gamble
- Multiple signals (light ratio, intensity, direction) are integrated
- Successful escape triggers mode switch from seeking to capturing
- Threshold sensitivity varies by species and conditions