Runners, bulbs, and tubers are examples of what type of reproduction?

Runners, bulbs, and tubers are all forms of asexual reproduction in plants, which allows them to reproduce without the need for seeds or fertilization. Asexual reproduction involves only one parent plant and results in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent, known as clones.

Runners are horizontal stems that grow along the ground and can produce new plants at their nodes. Bulbs are underground storage organs that can produce a new plant during the right season, while tubers, like potatoes, are also modified storage organs that can sprout and grow into new plants. This method of reproduction is advantageous for plants as it enables rapid colonization and establishment in suitable environments.

The other choices relate to different biological processes that do not involve the same mechanism of reproduction found in runners, bulbs, and tubers.