Lentic freshwater habitats in temperate regions exist along a gradient from small ephemeral ponds to large permanent lakes. This environmental continuum is a useful axis for understanding how attributes of individuals ultimately generate structure at the level of the community. Community structure across the gradient is determined by both (a) physical factors, such as pond drying and winter anoxia, that limit the potential breadth of species distributions, and (b) biotic effects mediated by ecological interactions, principally predation, that determine the realized success of species. Fitness tradeoffs associated with a few critical traits of individuals often form the basis for species turnover along the gradient. Among species that inhabit temporary ponds, distributions are often constrained because traits that enhance developmental rate and competitive ability also increase susceptibility to predators. In permanent ponds, changes in the composition of major predators over the gradient limit distributions of prey species because traits that reduce mortality risk in one region of the gradient cause increased risk in other regions of the gradient. Integrated across the gradient, these patterns in species success generate distinct patterns in community structure. Additionally, spatial heterogeneity among habitats along the gradient and the fitness tradeoffs created by this heterogeneity may hold important evolutionary implications for habitat specialization and lineage diversification in aquatic taxa. 337

Local adaptation has been a major focus of evolutionary ecologists working across diverse systems for decades. However, little of this research has explored variation at microgeographic scales because it has often been assumed that high rates of gene flow will prevent adaptive divergence at fine spatial scales. Here, we establish a quantitative definition of microgeographic adaptation based on Wright's dispersal neighborhood that standardizes dispersal abilities, enabling this measure to be compared across species. We use this definition to evaluate growing evidence of evolutionary divergence at fine spatial scales. We identify the main mechanisms known to facilitate this adaptation and highlight illustrative examples of microgeographic evolution in nature. Collectively, this evidence requires that we revisit our understanding of the spatial scale of adaptation and consider how microgeographic adaptation and its driving mechanisms can fundamentally alter ecological and evolutionary dynamics in nature.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. Ecological Society of America is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Ecology.Abstract. This study examines the responses of larval American toads (Bufo americanus) to the non-lethal presence of an odonate predator (Anax junius). We performed a laboratory experiment where toad larvae were raised at four food rations crossed with the non-lethal presence (i.e., constrained Anax) and absence of the predator. Tadpoles facultatively responded by metamorphosing at smaller sizes in the presence of the predator and at lower food rations. Tadpoles also responded behaviorally to the presence of predators by reducing activity and altering spatial distribution. These latter reactions appeared to contribute to reduced growth rates in the presence of the predator at a given food level. We attempted to separate the effect of the predator on size at metamorphosis into components due to the effect on growth and to more direct effects of the predator, by comparing size at metamorphosis for individuals growing at the same rate in the presence and absence of the predator (i.e., at different food levels). Our data suggest that the metamorphic response may be mediated primarily through the behavioral effects on growth, which then affect size at metamorphosis. These results are consistent with theories of amphibian metamorphosis that predict that size at metamorphosis should depend on the relation between growth opportunities and risk of mortality in the larval and adult habitats. We discuss the importance of non-lethal effects of predators on prey performance, species interactions, and the evolution of prey defenses.

To predict the spread of invasive species, we need to understand the mechanisms that underlie their range expansion. Assuming random diffusion through homogeneous environments, invasions are expected to progress at a constant rate. However, environmental heterogeneity is expected to alter diffusion rates, especially by slowing invasions as populations encounter suboptimal environmental conditions. Here, we examine how environmental and landscape factors affect the local invasion speeds of cane toads (Chaunus [Bufo] marinus) in Australia. Using high-resolution cane toad data, we demonstrate heterogeneous regional invasion dynamics that include both decelerating and accelerating range expansions. Toad invasion speed increased in regions characterized by high temperatures, heterogeneous topography, low elevations, dense road networks, and high patch connectivity. Regional increases in the toad invasion rate might be caused by environmental conditions that facilitate toad reproduction and movement, by the evolution of long-distance dispersal ability, or by some combination of these factors. In any case, theoretical predictions that neglect environmental influences on dispersal at multiple spatial scales may prove to be inaccurate. Early predictions of cane toad range expansion rates that assumed constant diffusion across homogeneous landscapes already have been proved wrong. Future attempts to predict range dynamics for invasive species should consider heterogeneity in (1) the environmental factors that determine dispersal rates and (2) the mobility of invasive populations because dispersal-relevant traits can evolve in exotic habitats. As an invasive species spreads, it is likely to encounter conditions that influence dispersal rates via one or both of these mechanisms.