Biology of Business

Optimizing reproduction in a randomly varying environment

Dan Cohen

Journal of Theoretical Biology (1966)

TL;DR

Partial germination optimal in variable environments

By Alex Denne

Early theoretical work establishing the mathematical foundation for optimal seed germination strategies in variable environments. Cohen's model showed that partial germination (bet-hedging) outperforms full germination in unpredictable environments - the theoretical basis for The Seed Bank Strategy.

Key Findings from Cohen (1966)

  • Partial germination optimal in variable environments
  • Full germination only optimal in predictable environments
  • Mathematical foundation for bet-hedging in plants

Related Mechanisms for Optimizing reproduction in a randomly varying environment

Related Organisms for Optimizing reproduction in a randomly varying environment