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Nutrient-rich spatial refuges buffer against extinction and promote evolutionary rescue in evolving microbial
Matthew Kelbrick1, Andrew Fenton1, Stephen Parratt1
1Department of Evolution, Ecology & Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|December 10, 2024
Summary
Spatial refuges aid microbial survival during environmental stress, but their effectiveness hinges on nutrient availability. Nutrient-rich refuges promote evolutionary rescue and enhance salt resistance in bacterial populations.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Abiotic disturbances threaten microbial populations, potentially causing local extinction.
- Spatial refuges are theorized to promote persistence and evolutionary rescue.
- Refuge effectiveness may depend on nutrient availability and stress levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interplay between spatial refuges, nutrient availability, and evolutionary rescue under stress.
- To test the hypothesis that nutrient-rich refuges enhance the protective effect of spatial refuges.
Main Methods:
- Mathematical modeling of eco-evolutionary dynamics.
- Experimental evolution of *Pseudomonas fluorescens* SBW25 under salinity stress.
- Analysis of population viability, adaptation, and genetic changes.
Main Results:
- Mathematical models predicted that nutrient availability critically influences the ability of spatial refuges to facilitate evolutionary rescue.
- Experimental evolution confirmed that nutrient-rich spatial refuges enabled evolutionary rescue under salinity stress.
- Populations in nutrient-rich refuges evolved enhanced salt resistance, while motility adaptations in control populations were constrained by high salinity.
Conclusions:
- The protective effect of spatial refuges is modulated by nutrient availability, with nutrient-rich refuges promoting evolutionary rescue.
- Nutrient-rich spatial refuges can be a key factor in mitigating extinction risk for microbial populations facing environmental stress.
- Understanding this interplay is crucial for managing and conserving natural populations.
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