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Ecological changes with minor effect initiate evolution to delayed regime shifts
P Catalina Chaparro-Pedraza1,2, André M de Roos3,4
1Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Catalina.Chaparro@eawag.ch.
Nature Ecology & Evolution
|February 12, 2020
Summary
Regime shifts can be triggered by evolutionary processes, not just immediate environmental changes. This study reveals how past environmental shifts can lead to delayed, selection-induced regime shifts in ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Resilience Theory
Background:
- Regime shifts are abrupt changes in socioecological systems.
- Current resilience theory overlooks evolutionary dynamics, focusing only on external tipping points.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of evolutionary processes in regime shifts.
- To challenge the existing paradigm of immediate, externally driven regime shifts.
Main Methods:
- The study models how external condition changes can initiate evolutionary responses.
- It analyzes the delayed impact of phenotypic trait evolution on system dynamics.
Main Results:
- External changes may not immediately cause regime shifts or cross tipping points.
- Evolutionary processes can drive phenotypic traits beyond tipping points, inducing delayed regime shifts.
- Selection-induced regime shifts demonstrate a link between past environmental changes and present system states.
Conclusions:
- Regime shifts observed today may stem from historical environmental alterations.
- Integrating evolutionary dynamics is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of ecosystem resilience.
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