Evolution Under Competition Increases Population Production by Reducing the Density-Dependence of Net Energy Fluxes and Growth.

ABSTRACT: Competition can drive rapid evolution, but forecasting how species evolve in communities remains difficult. Life history theory predicts that evolution in crowded environments should maximize population production, with intra- and inter-specific competition producing similar outcomes if species compete for similar resources. Despite its appeal, this prediction has rarely been tested in communities. To test its generality and identify its physiological basis, we used experimental evolution to maintain four species of marine phytoplankton alone or together in a community for 4.5 months. We then quantified changes in their metabolism, demography, and competitive ability at two timepoints (~60 and 120 generations) in common garden experiments. One species was outcompeted during the evolution e

SUBMITTER: Briddon CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11913549 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature