Field Station Fabrikschleichach, University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstrasse, Rauhenebrach, Germany.
Am Nat. 2011 Jun;177(6):792-9. doi: 10.1086/659995.
The adverse influence of habitat degradation on the survival of populations may sometimes be amplified by rapid evolution over ecological timescales. This phenomenon of "evolutionary suicide" has been described in theoretical as well as empirical studies. However, no studies have suggested that habitat improvement could possibly also trigger an evolutionary response that would result in a decline in population size. We use individual-based simulations to demonstrate the potential for such a paradoxical response. An increase in the quality, size, or stability of only a fraction of the habitat patches in a metapopulation may result in an evolutionary decline in the dispersal propensity of individuals, followed by a decrease in recolonization, a reduction in the number of patches occupied, a decline in overall population size, and even extinction. Thus, well-intended conservation efforts that ignore potential evolutionary consequences of habitat management may increase the extinction risk of populations.
栖息地退化对种群生存的不利影响有时可能会因生态时间尺度上的快速进化而加剧。这种“进化自杀”现象在理论和实证研究中都有描述。然而，没有研究表明栖息地改善也可能引发进化反应，导致种群数量下降。我们使用基于个体的模拟来证明这种可能的悖论反应。在一个集合种群中，只有一部分栖息地斑块的质量、大小或稳定性增加，可能会导致个体的扩散倾向发生进化性下降，随后再定居能力下降、占据的斑块数量减少、总体种群数量下降，甚至灭绝。因此，那些出于善意的保护工作，如果忽视了栖息地管理的潜在进化后果，可能会增加种群的灭绝风险。
