Eco-evolutionary experiments are typically conducted in semi-unnatural controlled settings, such as mesocosms; yet inferences about how evolution and ecology interact in the real world would surely benefit from experiments in natural uncontrolled settings. Opportunities for such experiments are rare but do arise in the context of restoration ecology-where different "types" of a given species can be introduced into different "replicate" locations. Designing such experiments requires wrestling with consequential questions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor sessile organisms at high risk from climate change, phenotypic plasticity can be critical to rapid acclimation. Epigenetic markers like DNA methylation are hypothesized as mediators of plasticity; methylation is associated with the regulation of gene expression, can change in response to ecological cues, and is a proposed basis for the inheritance of acquired traits. Within reef-building corals, gene-body methylation (gbM) can change in response to ecological stressors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHost-parasite coevolution may lead to patterns of local adaptation in either the host or parasite. For parasites with complex multi-host life cycles, this coevolution may be more challenging as they must adapt to multiple geographically varying hosts. The tapeworm exhibits some local adaptation to its second intermediate host, threespine stickleback, to which the parasite is strictly specialized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIncreasing rates of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) enrichment to soils often lead to the dominance of nitrophilic plant species and reduce plant diversity in natural ecosystems. Yet, we lack a framework to predict which species will be winners or losers in soil N enrichment scenarios, a framework that current literature suggests should integrate plant phylogeny, functional tradeoffs, and nutrient co-limitation. Using a controlled fertilization experiment, we quantified biomass responses to N enrichment for 23 forest tree species within the genus Eucalyptus that are native to Tasmania, Australia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent patterns of global change have highlighted the importance of understanding the dynamics and mechanisms of species range shifts and expansions. Unique demographic features, spatial processes, and selective pressures can result in the accumulation and evolution of distinctive phenotypic traits at the leading edges of expansions. We review the characteristics of expanding range margins and highlight possible mechanisms for the appearance of phenotypic differences between individuals at the leading edge and core of the range.
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