Nutrient-Driven Adaptive Evolution of Foraging Traits Impacts Producer-Grazer Dynamics
by Oluwagbemisola Oladepo, and Angela Peace
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Grazers like Daphnia adjust feeding to cope with changes in food quality and availability, while producers like algae vary in abundance and nutrient content. This study uses models to compare fixed and adaptive foraging strategies in grazers. Results show that adaptive foraging can support survival in nutrient-poor environments, acting as evolutionary rescue. However, rapid adaptation may lead to population fluctuations and increase extinction risk. These findings highlight when adaptive foraging aids grazer persistence and when it may destabilize ecosystems, informing our understanding of ecological resilience.
Nutrient-Driven Adaptive Evolution of Foraging Traits Impacts Producer-Grazer Dynamics: A Graphical Abstract.
