Genotype diversity promotes the persistence of Daphnia populations exposed to severe copper stress

When environmental stressors of high intensity are sustained for long periods of time, populations face high probabilities of being extirpated. However, depending on the intensity of the stressor, large populations with sufficient genetic diversity may persist. We report the results of an experiment that tracked the persistence of Daphnia populations exposed to copper contamination. We assessed whether genotypic diversity reduced the risk of extinction. We created monoclonal and multiclonal populations and monitored their population sizes during a 32-week experiment. Cu was applied at a sub-lethal concentration and then increased every week until the population sizes dropped to about 10% of the carrying capacity (Cu at 180 μg/L). The concentration was then increased up to 186 μg/L and held stable until the end of the experiment. A survival analysis showed that clonal diversity extended the persistence of Daphnia populations, but copper contamination caused a substantial genetic erosion followed by population extirpation. However, some Cu-treated populations, mostly multiclonal, showed U-shaped patterns of growth consistent with evolutionary rescue but these did not lead to lasting population recovery. These results highlight the importance of genetic variation for population persistence, but they also show how quickly it can be lost in contaminated environments.