A Metapopulation Paradox: Partial Improvement of Habitat May Reduce Metapopulation Persistence

Authored by Calvin Dytham, Hans Joachim Poethke, Thomas Hovestadt

Date Published: 2011

DOI: 10.1086/659995

Sponsors: European Union German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG)

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

The adverse influence of habitat degradation on the survival of populations may sometimes be amplified by rapid evolution over ecological timescales. This phenomenon of ``evolutionary suicide{''} has been described in theoretical as well as empirical studies. However, no studies have suggested that habitat improvement could possibly also trigger an evolutionary response that would result in a decline in population size. We use individual-based simulations to demonstrate the potential for such a paradoxical response. An increase in the quality, size, or stability of only a fraction of the habitat patches in a metapopulation may result in an evolutionary decline in the dispersal propensity of individuals, followed by a decrease in recolonization, a reduction in the number of patches occupied, a decline in overall population size, and even extinction. Thus, well-intended conservation efforts that ignore potential evolutionary consequences of habitat management may increase the extinction risk of populations.

Tags

Competition Dynamics Density-dependent dispersal fragmented landscapes Long-distance dispersal Rates Climate-change Individual-based model Local extinction Evolutionary response