Eco‐evolutionary feedbacks—Theoretical models and perspectives

Govaert, Lynn; Fronhofer, Emanuel A.; Lion, Sébastien; Eizaguirre, Christophe; Bonte, Dries; Egas, Martijn; Hendry, Andrew P.; Martins, Ayana de Brito; Melián, Carlos J.; Raeymaekers, Joost; Ratikainen, Irja Ida; Sæther, Bernt‐Erik; Schweitzer, Jennifer A.; Matthews, Blake

doi:10.1111/1365-2435.13241

Cited by 181 publications

(189 citation statements)

References 206 publications

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“…Such an integrated view on dispersal, life history evolution and costs shifts in response to habitat fragmentation is currently lacking (Cheptou et al , ) but highly needed to advance the predictive ecology of species and ecosystems, especially in the fast‐changing world of today (Urban et al , ). While theory focuses, for reasons of tractability, on simple dynamics (Govaert et al , ), we are able to demonstrate more realistic multivariate life history divergence in response to changes in habitat connectedness as caused by extended evolutionary processes (Laland et al , ; Futuyma, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Spatial connectedness imposes local‐ and metapopulation‐level selection on life history through feedbacks on demography

Masier

Bonte

2019

Ecology Letters

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Dispersal evolution impacts the fluxes of individuals and hence, connectivity in metapopulations. Connectivity is therefore decoupled from the structural connectedness of the patches within the spatial network. Because of demographic feedbacks, local selection also drives the evolution of other life history traits. We investigated how different levels of connectedness affect trait evolution in experimental metapopulations of the two‐spotted spider mite. We separated local‐ and metapopulation‐level selection and linked trait divergence to population dynamics. With lower connectedness, an increased starvation resistance and delayed dispersal evolved. Reproductive performance evolved locally by transgenerational plasticity or epigenetic processes. Costs of dispersal, but also changes in local densities and temporal fluctuations herein are found to be putative drivers. In addition to dispersal, demographic traits are able to evolve in response to metapopulation connectedness at both the local and metapopulation level by genetic and/or non‐genetic inheritance. These trait changes impact the persistence of spatially structured populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Spatial connectedness imposes local‐ and metapopulation‐level selection on life history through feedbacks on demography

Masier

Bonte

2019

Ecology Letters

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“…Developing insights in such rules might involve the combined effort of empirical work and targeted modelling. Theoretical modelling can help to identify instances where eco‐evolutionary feedbacks could potentially be important (Govaert et al, ), or to test the strength of these feedbacks in more complex systems (de Andreazzi, Guimarães, & Melián, ). Further development of theory will be crucial in order to be able to incorporate eco‐evolutionary dynamics in predictions (Urban et al, ) and management beyond the specific settings that have been empirically documented.…”

Section: Using Complexity To Make Things Simple Again: Emergent Pattementioning

confidence: 99%

Analysing eco‐evolutionary dynamics—The challenging complexity of the real world

et al. 2019

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The field of eco‐evolutionary dynamics is developing rapidly, with a growing number of well‐designed experiments quantifying the impact of evolution on ecological processes and patterns, ranging from population demography to community composition and ecosystem functioning. The key challenge remains to transfer the insights of these proof‐of‐principle experiments to natural settings, where multiple species interact and the dynamics are far more complex than those studied in most experiments. Here, we discuss potential pitfalls of building a framework on eco‐evolutionary dynamics that is based on data on single species studied in isolation from interspecific interactions, which can lead to both under‐ and overestimation of the impact of evolution on ecological processes. Underestimation of evolution‐driven ecological changes could occur in a single‐species approach when the focal species is involved in co‐evolutionary dynamics, whereas overestimation might occur due to increased rates of evolution following ecological release of the focal species. In order to develop a multi‐species perspective on eco‐evolutionary dynamics, we discuss the need for a broad‐sense definition of “eco‐evolutionary feedbacks” that includes any reciprocal interaction between ecological and evolutionary processes, next to a narrow‐sense definition that refers to interactions that directly feed back on the interactor that evolves. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of using more natural settings in eco‐evolutionary studies by gradually adding complexity: (a) multiple interacting species within a guild, (b) food web interactions and (c) evolving metacommunities in multiple habitat patches in a landscape. A literature survey indicated that only a few studies on microbial systems so far developed a truly multi‐species approach in their analysis of eco‐evolutionary dynamics, and mostly so in artificially constructed communities. Finally, we provide a road map of methods to study eco‐evolutionary dynamics in more natural settings. Eco‐evolutionary studies involving multiple species are necessarily demanding and might require intensive collaboration among research teams, but are highly needed. A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13261/suppinfo is available for this article.

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“…Despite multiple conceptual and theoretical models demonstrating how ecological and evolutionary forces can interact through plant–soil relationships (Kylafis & Loreau, ; Genung et al., ; Matthews et al., ; Schweitzer et al., ; Van Nuland et al., , Govaert et al. 2019), few studies have attempted to connect how plant evolution, the soil microbiome and ecosystem processes are interlinked in natural systems. We created a reciprocal transplant experiment, within the larger context of soil nutrient feedbacks (Figure ), to examine how variation in plant–microbe interactions might influence plant adaptation and alter ecosystem processes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem feedbacks contribute to geographic variation in plant–soil eco‐evolutionary dynamics across a fertility gradient

et al. 2019

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Plant species that occur in different soil nutrient environments often vary in plant functional traits that affect soil nutrient cycling, creating positive feedbacks that reinforce nutrient availability. Variation in such nutrient feedbacks could affect plant fitness, but few studies have explored the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of within‐species nutrient feedbacks, and the role that soil communities may play in mediating plant evolutionary responses. We investigated whether a widespread Populus species regulates soil fertility, resulting in positive nutrient feedbacks that influence population divergence. Here, we combined field observations, a reciprocal transplant experiment, and soil community sequencing to test how nutrient feedbacks might facilitate plant adaptation to soil environments. We find that: (1) Plant populations exist along a soil fertility gradient in the field and display trait variation consistent with positive nutrient feedbacks, (2) populations assemble distinct soil prokaryotic communities that are structured by soil chemistry, (3) populations show inconsistent patterns of local adaptation to their soil communities, however (4) genetic variation in plant–soil interactions reinforces soil nutrient differences. Soil communities may mediate variation in plant adaptation across a soil fertility gradient such that plant–soil interactions reinforce positive nutrient feedbacks. Identifying the eco‐evolutionary links between plant trait variation, soil nutrients and microbial communities demonstrates that plants modify and adapt to soil environments. These results support the hypothesis that eco‐evolutionary feedbacks may result when plant–soil interactions (eco) affect ecosystem‐level processes that sustain population‐level feedbacks and selective gradients (evo). A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13259/suppinfo is available for this article.

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Eco‐evolutionary feedbacks—Theoretical models and perspectives

Cited by 181 publications

References 206 publications

Spatial connectedness imposes local‐ and metapopulation‐level selection on life history through feedbacks on demography

Spatial connectedness imposes local‐ and metapopulation‐level selection on life history through feedbacks on demography

Analysing eco‐evolutionary dynamics—The challenging complexity of the real world

Ecosystem feedbacks contribute to geographic variation in plant–soil eco‐evolutionary dynamics across a fertility gradient

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