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Evolutionary and plastic rescue in multitrophic model communities.

Caolan Kovach-Orr1, Gregor F Fussmann

  • 1Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Docteur-Penfield, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. caolan.kovach-orr@mail.mcgill.ca

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This summary is machine-generated.

Phenotypic plasticity enhances population stability and persistence more than genetic diversity, especially at higher trophic levels. Understanding variation origin and location is crucial for predicting population rescue potential.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Theoretical Ecology

Background:

  • Intraspecific variation is key to population persistence under environmental change.
  • Genetic diversity and phenotypic plasticity are two main sources of this variation.
  • The relative effectiveness of these variation types and their trophic location remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare evolutionary rescue (genetic diversity) and plastic rescue (phenotypic plasticity) in model food webs.
  • To assess how the trophic location of variation influences population stability and persistence.
  • To test hypotheses regarding the impact of variation source and trophic level on population rescue.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of dynamical stability and persistence in model food webs.
  • Comparison of trait variation provided by genetic diversity versus phenotypic plasticity.
  • Evaluation of variation effects across different trophic levels.

Main Results:

  • Phenotypic plasticity significantly enhances community stability and persistence compared to genetic diversity.
  • Variation at the second-highest trophic level is more beneficial for stability than at the autotroph level.
  • Single-level variation showed greater benefits than two-level variation.

Conclusions:

  • Phenotypic plasticity offers greater potential for population rescue than genetic diversity.
  • The trophic position of intraspecific variation critically influences its impact on population persistence.
  • Effective conservation strategies require considering both the origin and trophic location of variation.