Abstract

This chapter examines the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of species across a metacommunity, and how these dynamics affect regional community structure. It begins with a discussion of the evolution of dispersal, focusing on when movement between local communities is and is not favored by natural selection, and how these various movement patterns shape local community structure. An example of the demographic consequences of dispersal is presented, and the evolution of dispersal in a temporally constant environment is analyzed. The chapter also considers the evolution of dispersal rates among communities along with local adaptation within each and explains how link species affect local abundances via their movement strategies. Finally, it explores the interplay between local adaptation and dispersal evolution, the impact of simultaneous spatial and temporal variation in environmental conditions on the evolution of dispersal among populations, and the evolution of phenotypic plasticity.

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