Prospecting and dispersal: their eco-evolutionary dynamics and implications for population patterns.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Behavioral Ecology

Background:

• Dispersal is a crucial ecological process influencing population dynamics and species distributions.
• Evidence suggests that dispersal is often an informed decision rather than a random event.
• The evolution of informed dispersal strategies depends on the balance between the costs and benefits of acquiring and using information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the coevolutionary dynamics between prospecting and dispersal strategies using individual-based simulations.
• To determine the conditions under which informed dispersal strategies evolve.
• To assess the impact of informed dispersal on population-level performance.

Main Methods:

• Individual-based, spatially explicit simulations were employed.
• The models incorporated varying costs for information acquisition and dispersal.
• Coevolutionary dynamics between prospecting and dispersal movement strategies were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Informed dispersal strategies evolve when information acquisition costs are low and dispersal incurs mortality costs.
• Selection favors informed dispersal when the processes of acquiring and using information are not prohibitively expensive.
• Non-informed dispersal strategies co-evolve with long dispersal distances to maximize sampling area.
• Informed dispersal can lead to sub-optimal population performance (density and patch occupancy).
• Uninformed individuals can achieve near-optimal population performance.

Conclusions:

• The evolution of dispersal strategies is context-dependent, influenced by the costs associated with information gathering and movement.
• Informed dispersal, while potentially beneficial for individuals, may not always lead to the best outcomes for the population as a whole.
• Trade-offs exist between individual benefits of informed dispersal and population-level optimization.