Effects of rapid evolution on species coexistence.

ABSTRACT: Increasing evidence for rapid evolution suggests that the maintenance of species diversity in ecological communities may be influenced by more than purely ecological processes. Classic theory shows that interspecific competition may select for traits that increase niche differentiation, weakening competition and thus promoting species coexistence. While empirical work has demonstrated trait evolution in response to competition, if and how evolution affects the dynamics of the competing species-the key step for completing the required eco-evolutionary feedback-has been difficult to resolve. Here, we show that evolution in response to interspecific competition feeds back to change the course of competitive population dynamics of aquatic plant species over 10-15 generations in the field. By m

SUBMITTER: Hart SP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6369787 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature