Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 17, 2026
07:37
Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
Published on: January 19, 2018
19.4K
Linking Individual Performance to Density-Dependent Population Dynamics to Understand Temperature-Mediated Genotype
Marjolein Bruijning1, Luc De Meester2,3,4, Marco D Visser5
1Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Ecology Letters
|September 16, 2025
Summary
Climate change impacts populations through competition. This study links modern coexistence theory with integral projection models to show how temperature shifts drive competitive exclusion between Daphnia genotypes, influenced by sex ratios.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Climate Change Biology
Background:
- Population persistence under climate change relies on adaptive potential and competition with migrating genotypes.
- Modern Coexistence Theory (MCT) models genotype interactions but often aggregates individual behaviors into population-level outcomes.
- There is a need to link individual-level interactions to population dynamics for a comprehensive understanding of climate change impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a cross-scale application of MCT integrated with Integral Projection Models (IPMs).
- To explicitly connect individual performance to population-level dynamics in competing genotypes.
- To investigate the effects of temperature and latitude on competitive interactions and population persistence.
Main Methods:
- Combined Modern Coexistence Theory (MCT) with Integral Projection Models (IPMs).
- Utilized experimental data on competing Daphnia genotypes from two different latitudes.
- Parameterized the integrated model to analyze individual performance and population dynamics.
Main Results:
- Higher temperatures increase the competitive exclusion of Northern Daphnia genotypes by Southern genotypes.
- Latitudinal variation in neonate sex ratios was identified as a key driver of temperature-dependent evolutionary shifts.
- The model successfully linked vital rates to population-level competitive outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The integrated MCT-IPM approach provides enhanced process-level resolution while maintaining theoretical interpretability.
- Understanding individual-level competition is crucial for predicting population persistence under climate change.
- Latitudinal adaptation and reproductive strategies significantly influence species' responses to warming environments.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Derivatives: Problem Solving
15
Temperature-Dependent Growth of Brook TroutThe growth of brook trout is closely influenced by water temperature. Experimental data demonstrate how trout weight changes over a 24-day period in response to varying water temperatures. At lower temperatures, such as 15.5 degrees Celsius, brook trout show significant weight gain. However, as the temperature increases, the amount of weight gained steadily decreases. At the highest temperature measured, 24.4 degrees Celsius, trout experience a net...
15
01:49Hardy-Weinberg Principle
76.0K
Diploid organisms have two alleles of each gene, one from each parent, in their somatic cells. Therefore, each individual contributes two alleles to the gene pool of the population. The gene pool of a population is the sum of every allele of all genes within that population and has some degree of variation. Genetic variation is typically expressed as a relative frequency, which is the percentage of the total population that has a given allele, genotype or phenotype.
76.0K
02:39Gene Flow
37.5K
Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
37.5K
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
7.4K
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
7.4K
01:25What is Population Genetics?
64.5K
A population is composed of members of the same species that simultaneously live and interact in the same area. When individuals in a population breed, they pass down their genes to their offspring. Many of these genes are polymorphic, meaning that they occur in multiple variants. Such variations of a gene are referred to as alleles. The collective set of all the alleles within a population is known as the gene pool.
64.5K
02:04Conservation of Small Populations
16.6K
Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less...
16.6K