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When Predators Help Prey Adapt and Persist in a Changing Environment.

Matthew M Osmond, Sarah P Otto, Christopher A Klausmeier

    The American Naturalist
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    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Predators can help prey populations persist in changing environments by driving adaptation. This occurs through selective removal of unfit individuals and by increasing birth rates, which accelerates evolution.

    Keywords:
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    Area of Science:

    • Ecology
    • Evolutionary Biology
    • Population Dynamics

    Background:

    • Population persistence in changing environments relies on adaptation.
    • Predator-prey interactions can influence prey adaptation rates.
    • The net effect of predation on prey persistence is not fully understood.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate how predation influences prey persistence in directionally changing environments.
    • To determine if predator-induced adaptation can overcome population declines.
    • To elucidate the mechanisms by which predation enhances prey persistence.

    Main Methods:

    • Extended a single-species quantitative-genetics framework.
    • Modeled the impact of predation on prey adaptation and population size.
    • Analyzed conditions under which prey can persist despite predation.

    Main Results:

    • Predation can enhance prey persistence if it sufficiently increases prey adaptedness.
    • The 'selective push' mechanism: predators remove maladapted individuals, driving trait evolution.
    • The 'evolutionary hydra effect': reduced prey density increases birth rates, accelerating adaptation.

    Conclusions:

    • Predation can be a crucial factor promoting prey persistence in changing environments.
    • Predator-induced adaptation can outweigh population reductions caused by predation.
    • Findings extend to other sources of mortality beyond predation.