Local Adaptation to Biotic Interactions: A Meta-analysis across Latitudes

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Local adaptation can expand species' ranges and boost diversification rates.
• The role of biotic interactions in driving local adaptation remains unclear.
• Biotic interactions are hypothesized to drive local adaptation if they impose consistent divergent selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test if local adaptation is more frequent or stronger when biotic interactions are intact.
• To investigate the influence of biotic interactions on local adaptation across diverse ecosystems.
• To explore potential latitudinal variation in the role of biotic interactions in local adaptation.

Main Methods:

• Meta-analysis of over 125 plant transplant experiments.
• Comparison of local adaptation in natural vs. biotically altered environments.
• Analysis of experimental treatments manipulating biotic interactions.

Main Results:

• Local adaptation is widespread and biotic interactions significantly impact species fitness.
• Local adaptation was not more common or stronger when biotic interactions were left intact.
• The influence of biotic interactions on local adaptation may vary with latitude, potentially being stronger in tropical ecosystems.

Conclusions:

• Biotic interactions, despite affecting fitness, often fail to drive local adaptation.
• Environmental unpredictability at relevant spatiotemporal scales may hinder adaptation driven by biotic interactions in temperate zones.
• Further research, particularly in tropical regions, is needed to fully understand the role of biotic interactions in local adaptation.