An experimental test of the Allee effect range limitation hypothesis.

ABSTRACT: Understanding how climate change impacts trailing-edge populations requires information about how abiotic and biotic factors limit their distributions. Theory indicates that socially mediated Allee effects can limit species distributions by suppressing growth rates of peripheral populations when social information is scarce. The goal of our research was to determine if socially mediated Allee effects limit the distribution of Canada warbler Cardellina canadensis at the trailing-edge of the geographic range. Using 4 years of observational data from 71 sites and experimental data at 10 sites, we tested two predictions of the socially mediated range limitation hypothesis: (a) local growth rates should be positively correlated with local density and (b) the addition of social cues immediately

SUBMITTER: Merker SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7984094 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature