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Ecological dynamics and large scale phenotypic differentiation in density-dependent populations.
Steinar Engen1, Bernt-Erik Sæther2
1Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
Theoretical Population Biology
|April 26, 2019
Summary
Environmental changes drive population shifts, influencing trait variations across space. Our model reveals how ecological dynamics and migration shape these phenotypic differences, offering insights into evolutionary processes.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Population Genetics
Background:
- Phenotypic differentiation is shaped by local adaptation and migration.
- Environmental variability can lead to fluctuating selection pressures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model how spatio-temporal environmental variability influences phenotypic differentiation.
- To investigate the interplay between ecological dynamics, dispersal, and selection on trait variation.
Main Methods:
- Developed a model incorporating density regulation and density-dependent fitness.
- Analyzed the variance in local mean phenotypes under spatially correlated environmental fluctuations.
- Derived how spatial scales of phenotypic correlations depend on ecological parameters.
Main Results:
- Phenotypic differentiation is strongly influenced by ecological dynamics parameters.
- The geographical scale of phenotypic variation is affected by dispersal and local selection strength.
- Decreased density dependence and local selection increase phenotypic differentiation.
Conclusions:
- The spatial autocorrelation function of phenotypes provides insights into ecological and evolutionary processes.
- Environmental variability and ecological factors are key drivers of spatial phenotypic differentiation.
- Migration and local selection interact to determine the extent of trait variation across populations.
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