Effects of size selection versus density dependence on life histories: A first experimental probe.
Ecol Lett
; 24(7): 1467-1473, 2021 Jul.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33963637
When prey experience size-based harvesting by predators, they are not only subject to selection due to larger individuals being preferentially harvested but also selection due to reductions in population density. Density-dependent selection represents one of the most basic interactions between ecology and evolution. Yet, the reduction in density associated with exploitation has not been tested as a possible driving force of observed evolutionary changes in populations harvested size-dependently. Using an artificial selection experiment with a mixture of Daphnia clones, we partition the evolutionary effects of size-based harvesting into the effects of removing large individuals and the effects of lowering the population density. We show that both size selection and density-dependent selection are significant drivers of life-history evolution. Importantly, these drivers affected different life-history traits with size-selective harvesting selecting for slower juvenile growth rates and a larger size at maturity, and low-density selecting for reduced reproductive output.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Ecology
/
Biological Evolution
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Ecol Lett
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States
Country of publication:
United kingdom