Local negative frequency dependence can decrease global coexistence in fragmented populations.

ABSTRACT: Most biological populations are rich in diversity, and negative frequency-dependent (NFD) selection is a well-known mechanism thought to underlie this stable coexistence of multiple variants. Recent studies confirm its widespread presence at local spatial scales, however it remains unclear whether these local-scale dynamics are sufficient to maintain diversity across larger, landscape-level scales. While prior theoretical work has found that local NFD selection can indeed promote global coexistence, these studies only analyzed contiguous landscapes. In contrast, many ecosystems are not contiguous, but rather spatially fragmented or exhibit spatial variation in the local carrying capacity. Using a population-genetic model based on the classic island framework, we show that, in fragmented po

SUBMITTER: Devadhasan A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12685113 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature