Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Ecol Lett. 2020 Feb;23(2):242-253. doi: 10.1111/ele.13421. Epub 2019 Nov 19.
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.
扩散进化影响个体的流动，从而影响集合种群的连通性。因此，连通性与空间网络中斑块的结构连通性相分离。由于人口统计学反馈，局部选择也推动了其他生活史特征的进化。我们研究了不同程度的连通性如何影响两种斑叶螨实验集合种群的特征进化。我们将局部和集合种群水平的选择分开，并将特征分歧与种群动态联系起来。在连通性较低的情况下，进化出了更高的饥饿抗性和延迟扩散。通过跨代可塑性或表观遗传过程，在局部进化出了繁殖性能。扩散成本，以及当地密度和时间波动的变化，被认为是潜在的驱动因素。除了扩散，通过遗传和/或非遗传遗传，人口特征也能够响应集合种群的连通性在局部和集合种群水平上进化。这些特征变化影响了具有空间结构的种群的持久性。
