Am Nat. 2022 Jun;199(6):758-775. doi: 10.1086/719425. Epub 2022 Apr 21.
AbstractBy virtue of their niche construction traits, plants play a significant role in shaping landscapes. The resultant outcome could change the selective environment, which then influences the evolution of these same plants. To date, almost all biogeomorphic models have assumed that niche construction traits are invariant in time. Conversely, niche construction studies often assume that independent abiotic changes either are nonexistent or are simply linear. Here, I consider the concomitant evolution of plant niche construction traits during complex landscape development. I construct a geo-evolutionary model that couples a population genetic module with a landscape development module. Allowing plants to evolve always results in landforms different from those that appear when evolution is not included. The topographic difference between cases with and without evolution ranges from a small difference in steady-state elevation (topography) to pronounced differences in landforms. Furthermore, evolution of niche construction traits could introduce alternative stable states and hysteresis, modifying the responses of landscapes to environmental stress. Allowing the landscape to develop while evolution occurs alters evolutionary trajectories for niche construction traits. The system can even develop into states that suppress natural selection. Model results support the need to integrate niche construction theory and biogeomorphology to better understand both.
摘要
由于其生态位构建特性，植物在塑造景观方面发挥着重要作用。由此产生的结果可能会改变选择环境，从而影响这些相同植物的进化。迄今为止，几乎所有的生物地貌模型都假设生态位构建特性在时间上是不变的。相反，生态位构建研究通常假设独立的非生物变化要么不存在，要么只是线性的。在这里，我考虑了在复杂的景观发展过程中植物生态位构建特性的共同进化。我构建了一个地理进化模型，该模型将种群遗传模块与景观发展模块耦合在一起。允许植物进化总是会导致与不包括进化时出现的地貌不同的地貌。有进化和没有进化的情况下地形的差异范围从小的稳态海拔差异（地形）到地貌的明显差异。此外，生态位构建特性的进化可以引入替代稳定状态和滞后，从而改变景观对环境压力的响应。在进化发生的同时允许景观发展会改变生态位构建特性的进化轨迹。该系统甚至可以发展到抑制自然选择的状态。模型结果支持将生态位构建理论与生物地貌学相结合的必要性，以更好地理解这两者。
