Preemptive spatial competition under a reproduction-mortality constraint

Authored by Andrew Allstadt, Thomas Caraco, G Korniss

Date Published: 2009

DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2009.02.012

Sponsors: United States National Science Foundation (NSF)

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

Spatially structured ecological interactions can shape selection pressures experienced by a population's different phenotypes. We study spatial competition between phenotypes subject to antagonistic pleiotropy between reproductive effort and mortality rate. The constraint we invoke reflects a previous life-history analysis; the implied dependence indicates that although propagation and mortality rates both vary, their ratio is fixed. We develop a stochastic invasion approximation predicting that phenotypes with higher propagation rates will invade an empty environment (no biotic resistance) faster, despite their higher mortality rate. However, once population density approaches demographic equilibrium, phenotypes with lower mortality are favored, despite their lower propagation rate. We conducted a set of pairwise invasion analyses by simulating an individual-based model of preemptive competition. In each case, the phenotype with the lowest mortality rate and (via antagonistic pleiotropy) the lowest propagation rate qualified as evolutionarily stable among strategies simulated. This result, for a fixed propagation to mortality ratio, Suggests that a selective response to spatial competition can extend the time scale of the population's dynamics, which in turn decelerates phenotypic evolution. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tags

Evolution models Dynamics invasion Trade-off Plant-communities Lattice population Delayed dispersal Clonal growth Time-scales