Open AccessHow to disarm an evolutionary trap
Author(s) -
Robertson Bruce A.,
Blumstein Daniel T.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
conservation science and practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2578-4854
DOI - 10.1111/csp2.116
Subject(s) - endangered species , threatened species , wildlife , adaptive management , context (archaeology) , wildlife management , extinction (optical mineralogy) , wildlife conservation , population , ecology , environmental resource management , habitat , biology , geography , risk analysis (engineering) , business , environmental science , paleontology , demography , sociology
Evolutionary traps occur when rapid environmental change leads animals to prefer resources (e.g., food, mates, habitats) that reduce their fitness. Traps can lead to rapid population declines, extirpation, and species extinction, yet they have received little attention within the context of wildlife conservation efforts. We first demonstrate that traps are affecting a taxonomically diverse range of animals including key pollinators and important human food species and commonly impact threatened and endangered species. We then provide a conceptual framework for wildlife scientists and practitioners that outlines: (1) the detectable symptoms of evolutionary traps which require further investigation if a trap is affecting the target of existing conservation management; (2) management options for eliminating traps or mitigating their demographic impacts; (3) case studies illustrating how practitioners have applied these mitigations in specific cases; and (4) a structure for considering how these management options should be integrated into existing decision‐making frameworks. Management to eliminate evolutionary traps is a new challenge for conservationist scientists requiring a deeper understanding of the sensory‐cognitive world experienced by nonhuman animals. To do so, it will be essential to diagnose the behavioral mechanisms causing traps and then identify solutions to restore adaptive behavior in target populations.