The coevolutionary consequences of biodiversity change

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Biodiversity Science

Background:

• Coevolutionary selection drives species interactions and biodiversity.
• Anthropogenic global environmental change is altering interspecific interactions.
• The impact of global change on coevolutionary selection remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline key pathways through which biodiversity change redirects coevolutionary selection.
• To emphasize the importance of assessing disruptions to ecological and evolutionary rules governing species interactions.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual framework outlining three interrelated pathways: changes in evolutionary potential, community composition, and interaction trait distributions.
• Literature synthesis and theoretical modeling (implied).

Main Results:

• Biodiversity change is expected to redirect coevolutionary selection through altered evolutionary potential.
• Shifts in community composition will modify the landscape of species interactions.
• Changes in interaction trait distributions will reshape the targets of coevolutionary selection.

Conclusions:

• Understanding disrupted ecological and evolutionary rules is vital for predicting biodiversity futures.
• Coevolutionary processes are being reshaped by anthropogenic global change.
• Further research is needed to quantify these impacts on biodiversity.