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Life-history evolution in harvested populations: the role of natural predation

Gårdmark, Anna LU ; Dieckmann, U and Lundberg, Per LU (2003) In Evolutionary Ecology Research 5(2). p.239-257
Abstract
Models and experiments of the evolution of age- and/or size-at-maturation in response to population harvesting have consistently shown that selective harvesting of older and larger individuals can cause earlier maturation. These predictions, however, are all based on single-species considerations and thus crucially neglect the selective forces caused or mediated by species interactions. Here we develop simple models of phenotypic evolution of age-at-first-reproduction in a prey population subject to different types of predation and harvesting. We show that, in the presence of natural predation, the potential evolutionary response of age-at-first-reproduction to population harvesting is ambiguous: harvesting can cause either earlier or... (More)
Models and experiments of the evolution of age- and/or size-at-maturation in response to population harvesting have consistently shown that selective harvesting of older and larger individuals can cause earlier maturation. These predictions, however, are all based on single-species considerations and thus crucially neglect the selective forces caused or mediated by species interactions. Here we develop simple models of phenotypic evolution of age-at-first-reproduction in a prey population subject to different types of predation and harvesting. We show that, in the presence of natural predation, the potential evolutionary response of age-at-first-reproduction to population harvesting is ambiguous: harvesting can cause either earlier or later maturation depending on the type of predator interaction and its strength relative to the fishing pressure. The counterintuitive consequences of harvesting result from the indirect effects that harvesting of a prey population has on the selection pressure exerted by its natural predator, since this selection pressure itself typically depends on prey density. If harvest rates are high, the direct selection pressures considered in classical analyses prevail and harvesting decreases the age-at-first-reproduction, whereas at lower harvest rates the indirect, inter-specifically mediated effects of harvesting can qualitatively overturn predictions based on simpler single-species models. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Evolutionary Ecology Research
volume
5
issue
2
pages
239 - 257
publisher
Evolutionary Ecology Ltd
external identifiers
  • wos:000180916000006
  • scopus:2542481284
ISSN
1522-0613
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4549691c-1970-4ec9-9fa2-1ec97ee4af27 (old id 135501)
alternative location
http://evolutionary-ecology.com/issues/v05n02/hhar1453.pdf
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:45:28
date last changed
2022-01-28 06:54:56
@article{4549691c-1970-4ec9-9fa2-1ec97ee4af27,
  abstract     = {{Models and experiments of the evolution of age- and/or size-at-maturation in response to population harvesting have consistently shown that selective harvesting of older and larger individuals can cause earlier maturation. These predictions, however, are all based on single-species considerations and thus crucially neglect the selective forces caused or mediated by species interactions. Here we develop simple models of phenotypic evolution of age-at-first-reproduction in a prey population subject to different types of predation and harvesting. We show that, in the presence of natural predation, the potential evolutionary response of age-at-first-reproduction to population harvesting is ambiguous: harvesting can cause either earlier or later maturation depending on the type of predator interaction and its strength relative to the fishing pressure. The counterintuitive consequences of harvesting result from the indirect effects that harvesting of a prey population has on the selection pressure exerted by its natural predator, since this selection pressure itself typically depends on prey density. If harvest rates are high, the direct selection pressures considered in classical analyses prevail and harvesting decreases the age-at-first-reproduction, whereas at lower harvest rates the indirect, inter-specifically mediated effects of harvesting can qualitatively overturn predictions based on simpler single-species models.}},
  author       = {{Gårdmark, Anna and Dieckmann, U and Lundberg, Per}},
  issn         = {{1522-0613}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{239--257}},
  publisher    = {{Evolutionary Ecology Ltd}},
  series       = {{Evolutionary Ecology Research}},
  title        = {{Life-history evolution in harvested populations: the role of natural predation}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4464219/624553.pdf}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2003}},
}