Noise driven phase transitions in eco-evolutionary systems

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Theoretical Ecology

Background:

• Complex ecosystems exhibit continuous ecological and evolutionary feedback loops between species and their environment.
• Species adapt by modifying phenotypic traits, which influences environmental conditions and resource availability.
• Understanding the interplay of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms is crucial for complex systems.

Approach:

• Developed a consumer-resource model incorporating phenotypic mutations to study eco-evolutionary dynamics.
• Analyzed phase transitions in the absence of noise, identifying the need for finely-tuned interaction kernels.
• Quantified noise effects on frequency-dependent selection using a time-integrated mutation current.

Key Points:

• Identified three distinct phases: homogeneous, patterned, and patterned traveling waves.
• The patterned traveling wave phase illustrates a mechanism for species co-evolution in fluctuating environments.
• Demonstrated that noise and non-reciprocal resource-consumer interactions are key drivers of phase transitions.

Conclusions:

• Eco-evolutionary systems are significantly shaped by noise and the nature of species interactions.
• The developed model provides insights into the emergence of complex patterns and co-evolution.
• Highlights the critical role of phenotypic plasticity and mutation in ecological dynamics.