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Evolution reverses the effect of network structure on metapopulation persistence
Author(s) -
McManus Lisa C.,
Tekwa Edward W.,
Schindler Daniel E.,
Walsworth Timothy E.,
Colton Madhavi A.,
Webster Michael M.,
Essington Timothy E.,
Forrest Daniel L.,
Palumbi Stephen R.,
Mumby Peter J.,
Pinsky Malin L.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1002/ecy.3381
Subject(s) - metapopulation , biological dispersal , persistence (discontinuity) , ecology , trait , environmental change , biology , adaptation (eye) , evolutionary ecology , climate change , evolutionary biology , population , computer science , demography , geotechnical engineering , neuroscience , sociology , engineering , programming language , host (biology)
Global environmental change is challenging species with novel conditions, such that demographic and evolutionary trajectories of populations are often shaped by the exchange of organisms and alleles across landscapes. Current ecological theory predicts that random networks with dispersal shortcuts connecting distant sites can promote persistence when there is no capacity for evolution. Here, we show with an eco‐evolutionary model that dispersal shortcuts across environmental gradients instead hinder persistence for populations that can evolve because long‐distance migrants bring extreme trait values that are often maladaptive, short‐circuiting the adaptive response of populations to directional change. Our results demonstrate that incorporating evolution and environmental heterogeneity fundamentally alters theoretical predictions regarding persistence in ecological networks.