Local adaptation across a fertility gradient is influenced by soil biota in the invasive grass, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bromus inermis</Emphasis>

Biotic soil factors, such as fungi, bacteria and herbivores affect resource acquisition and fitness in plants, yet little is known of their role as agents of selection. Evolutionary responses to these selective agents could be an important mechanism that explains the success of invasive species. In this study, we tested whether populations of the invasive grass Bromus inermis are adapted to their home soil environment, and whether biotic factors influence the magnitude of this adaptation. We selected three populations growing at sites that differed in soil fertility and grew individuals from each population in each soil. To assess whether biotic factors influence the magnitude of adaptation, we also grew the same populations in sterilized field soil. To further examine the role of one element of the soil biota (fungi) in local adaptation, we measured colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and septate fungi, and tested whether the extent of colonization differed between local and foreign plants. In non-sterilized (living) soil, there was evidence of a home site advantage because local plants produced significantly more biomass than at least one of the two populations of foreign plants in all three soil origins. By contrast, there was no evidence of a home site advantage in sterilized soil because local plants never produced significantly more biomass than either population of foreign plants. Fungal colonization differed between local and foreign plants in the living soil and this variation corresponded with biomass differences. When local plants produced more biomass than foreign plants, they were also less intensively colonized by AM fungi. Colonization by septate fungi did not vary between local and foreign plants. Our results suggest that biotic soil factors are important causes of plant adaptation, and that selection for reduced interactions with mycorrhizae could be one mechanism through which adaptation to a novel environment occurs.     

THE GENETIC STRUCTURE OF HOST PLANT ADAPTATION IN A SPATIAL PATCHWORK: DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABILITY AMONG RECIPROCALLY TRANSPLANTED PEA APHID CLONES

Populations of insect herbivores that feed on several host plant species may experience different selective forces on each host. When the hosts cooccur in a local area, herbivore populations can provide useful models for the study of evolutionary mechanisms in patchy environments. A first step in such a study involves determination of the genetic structure of host adaptation in the region: how is genetic variation for host use structured within and between subpopulations of herbivores on each host? The structure of genetic variation for host use reveals patterns of local adaptation, probable selective consequences of migration between hosts, and the potential for further evolution. To estimate the population structure of host adaptation in a patchwork, 7–11 pea aphid clones were collected at the beginning of the summer from each of two alfalfa and two red clover fields within a very localized area (about 15–20 km²). Using a reciprocal transplant in the field, replicates of these 35 clones were allowed to develop individually on each of the two crops. A complete life table was made for each replicate. Individual fitness was calculated from the life tables as the expected rate of population increase; longevity, age at first reproduction, and total fecundity were also measured for each clonal replicate. Currently, experimental estimates of genetic variation in complete life tables are virtually nonexistent for natural populations, even for single environments (Charlesworth, 1987); field studies are even less common. Because clones from each of two source crops were tested reciprocally on both hosts, variation in relative genotypic fitness on alfalfa and clover could be partitioned among clones within source crops, between fields of the same crop, and between source crops (alfalfa or red clover), providing a view of population structure. Significant clonal variation in relative performance on alfalfa and red clover was found: clones tended to have higher fitness on the crop from which they had been collected (the “home” crop) than they did on the “away” crop, suggesting local adaptation in response to patchy patterns of selection. Clonal variability within collections from the two crops suggests the potential for changes in the genetic constitution of these aphid populations within established fields as a result of clonal selection during the summer season. Significantly negative genetic correlations across crops were found for fitness and its major components. The possibility that these negative cross-environment correlations could act as evolutionary constraints on adaptation to the patchwork is considered.     

Evolutionary mismatch along salinity gradients in a Neotropical water strider

The evolution of local adaptation is crucial for the in situ persistence of populations in changing environments. However, selection along broad environmental gradients could render local adaptation difficult, and might even result in maladaptation. We address this issue by quantifying fitness trade‐offs (via common garden experiments) along a salinity gradient in two populations of the Neotropical water strider Telmatometra withei—a species found in both fresh (FW) and brackish (BW) water environments across Panama. We found evidence for local adaptation in the FW population in its home FW environment. However, the BW population showed only partial adaptation to the BW environment, with a high magnitude of maladaptation along naturally occurring salinity gradients. Indeed, its overall fitness was ~60% lower than that of the ancestral FW population in its home environment, highlighting the role of phenotypic plasticity, rather than local adaptation, in high salinity environments. This suggests that populations seemingly persisting in high salinity environments might in fact be maladapted, following drastic changes in salinity. Thus, variable selection imposed by salinization could result in evolutionary mismatch, where the fitness of a population is displaced from its optimal environment. Understanding the fitness consequences of persisting in fluctuating salinity environments is crucial to predict the persistence of populations facing increasing salinization. It will also help develop evolutionarily informed management strategies in the context of global change.     

Patterns and dynamics of rapid local adaptation and sex in varying habitat types in rotifers

Local adaptation is an important principle in a world of environmental change and might be critical for species persistence. We tested the hypothesis that replicated populations can attain rapid local adaptation under two varying laboratory environments. Clonal subpopulations of the cyclically parthenogenetic rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus were allowed to adapt to two varying harsh and a benign environment: a high‐salt, a food‐limited environment and untreated culture medium (no salt addition, high food). In contrast to most previous studies, we re‐adjusted rotifer density to a fixed value (two individuals per ml) every 3–4 days of unrestricted population growth, instead of exchanging a fixed proportion of the culture medium. Thus our dilution regime specifically selected for high population growth during the entire experiment and it allowed us to continuously track changes in fitness (i.e., maximum population growth under the prevailing conditions) in each population. After 56 days (43 asexual and eight sexual generations) of selection, the populations in the harsh environments showed a significant increase in fitness over time relative to the beginning compared to the population in untreated culture medium. Furthermore, the high‐salt population exhibited a significantly elevated ratio of sexual offspring from the start of the experiment, which suggested that this environment either triggered higher rates of sex or that the untreated medium and the food‐limited environment suppressed sex. In a following assay of local adaptation we measured population fitness under “local” versus “foreign” conditions (populations adapted to this environment compared to those of the other environment) for both harsh habitats. We found significantly higher fitness values for the local populations (on average, a 38% higher fitness) compared to the foreign populations. Overall, local adaptation was formed rapidly and it seemed to be more pronounced in the high‐salt treatment.     

Tests for Parasite-mediated Frequency-dependent Selection in Natural Populations of an Asexual Plant Species

Genetic variation in plant populations for resistance to pathogens and herbivores might be maintained by parasite-mediated negative frequency-dependent selection (FDS). But it is difficult to observe the time-lagged oscillations between host and parasite genotypes that should result from FDS. To evaluate the potential for FDS, we tested for local adaptation of parasites to common clones, the role of host genetic diversity in resistance to parasites, and genetic correlations among fitness, parasitism, and the frequency of host clones. We studied three populations of Arabis holboellii, a short-lived apomictic (asexual by seed) plant attacked by rust fungi and insect herbivores. To estimate clone frequency, we used polymorphic allozyme markers on 200 individuals in each population in 1990 and in 2000. We also recorded levels of parasitism and host fitness (fruit production). Only the rust fungi showed evidence for local host adaptation; they usually increased in incidence as a function of clone frequency, and they tracked temporal change in clone frequency. In further support of FDS, parasitism was lower in populations with higher genetic diversity. However, total parasitism (herbivory and disease combined) decreased as host clone frequency and fitness increased. Thus, although the highly virulent rust pathogen showed potential for driving the cycles that result from FDS, this apparently does not occur in the populations studied because the host clones were also attacked by herbivores.Co-ordinating editor: J.F. Stuefer     

Relating fitness to long‐term environmental variations in natura

Quantifying links between ecological processes and adaptation dynamics in natura remains a crucial challenge. Many studies have documented the strength, form and direction of selection, and its variations in space and time, but only a few managed to link these variations to their proximal causes. This step is, however, crucial, if we are to understand how the variation in selective pressure affects adaptive allele dynamics in natural settings. We used data from a long‐term survey (about 30 years) monitoring the adaptation to insecticides of Culex pipiens mosquitoes in Montpellier area (France), focusing on three resistance alleles of the Ester locus. We used a population genetics model taking temporal and spatial variations in selective pressure into account, to assess the quantitative relationships between variations in the proximal agent of selection (amounts of insecticide sprayed) and the fitness of resistance alleles. The response to variations in selective pressure was fast, and the alleles displayed different fitness‐to‐environment relationships: the analyses revealed that even slight changes in insecticide doses could induce changes in the strength and direction of selection, thus changing the fitness ranking of the adaptive alleles. They also revealed that selective pressures other than the insecticides used for mosquito control affected the resistance allele dynamics. These fitness‐to‐environment relationships, fast responses and continuous evolution limit our ability to predict the outcome of adaptive allele dynamics in a changing environment, but they clearly contribute to the maintenance of polymorphism in natural populations. Our study also emphasizes the necessity of long‐term surveys in evolutionary ecology.     

Trade‐offs between life‐history traits at range‐edge and central locations

The allocation of resources to different life‐history traits should represent the best compromise in fitness investment for organisms in their local environment. When resources are limiting, the investment in a specific trait must carry a cost that is expressed in trade‐offs with other traits. In this study, the relative investment in the fitness‐related traits, growth, reproduction and defence were compared at central and range‐edge locations, using the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum as a model system. Individual growth rates were similar at both sites, whereas edge populations showed a higher relative investment in reproduction (demonstrated by a higher reproductive allocation and extended reproductive periods) when compared to central populations that invested more in defence. These results show the capability of A. nodosum to differentially allocate resources for different traits under different habitat conditions, suggesting that reproduction and defence have different fitness values under the specific living conditions experienced at edge and central locations. However, ongoing climate change may threaten edge populations by increasing the selective pressure on specific traits, forcing these populations to lower the investment in other traits that are also potentially important for population fitness.     

Differentiation and adaptation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica nigra</Emphasis> populations: interactions with related herbivores

Local adaptation and population differentiation of plants are well documented, but studies on interactions with natural enemies are rare. In particular, evidence for plant adaptation to the local biotic environment, such as herbivores remains poor. We used the black mustard Brassica nigra, an annual species of river valley and coastal habitats to (1) analyse population differentiation in plant traits and herbivory in a common garden experiment, (2) examine home versus away differences in a reciprocal transplant experiment and (3) test whether plants are adapted to local herbivores or vice versa under standard greenhouse conditions. In the common garden experiment, we found significant differentiation in plant traits, leaf damage and herbivore number among seven populations of B. nigra from France and Germany (distance 15–1,000 km). Differences were particularly strong among coastal and river valley populations and did not necessarily increase with geographical distance. A herbivore removal treatment did not change population differentiation when compared with the control allowing natural colonisation. The reciprocal transplant experiment at a scale of 15–30 km did not reveal local plant adaptation, whilst one dominant herbivore species (Meligethes aeneus) occurred in significantly higher numbers on local plants. A greenhouse experiment combining three aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) and plant populations of the same provenance indicated herbivore adaptation to their local plants rather than plant adaptation, but overall contrasts between local and non-local combinations were not significant. The results suggest that herbivores may counteract local plant adaptation to other environmental factors. Our study has important implications for plant translocations in ecological restoration projects.     

Adaptation genomics: next generation sequencing reveals a shared haplotype for rapid early development in geographically and genetically distant populations of rainbow trout

Local adaptation occurs when a population evolves a phenotype that confers a selective advantage in its local environment, but which may not be advantageous in other habitats. Restricted gene flow and strong selection pressures are prerequisites for local adaptation. Fishes in the family Salmonidae are predicted to provide numerous examples of local adaptation because of the high fidelity of returning to spawn in their natal streams, which results in highly structured populations, and the wide diversity of environments that salmonids have colonized. These conditions are ideally suited for producing a set of specialist phenotypes, whose fitness is maximized for one specific habitat, rather than a generalist phenotype similarly viable in several environments. Understanding patterns and processes leading to local adaptations has long been a goal of evolutionary biology, but it is only recently that identifying the molecular basis for local adaptation has become feasible because of advances in genomic technologies. The study of shared adaptive phenotypes in populations that are both geographically distant and genetically distinct should reveal some of the fundamental molecular mechanisms associated with local adaptation. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Miller et al. (2012) make a significant contribution to the development of adaptation genomics. This study suggests that salmonids use standing genetic variation to select beneficial alleles for local adaptations rather than de novo mutations in the same gene or alternative physiological pathways. Identifying the genetic basis for local adaptation has major implications for the management, conservation and potential restoration of salmonid populations.     

Temperature-mediated patterns of local adaptation in a natural plant-pathogen metapopulation

There have been numerous investigations of parasite local adaptation, a phenomenon important from the perspectives of both basic and applied evolutionary ecology. Recent work has demonstrated that temperature has striking effects on parasite performance by mediating trade-offs in parasite life history and through genotype × environment interactions. To test whether parasite local adaptation is mediated by temperature, I measured the performance of sympatric populations against allopatric populations of a fungal pathogen, Podosphaera plantaginis , on its host Plantago lanceolata , across a temperature gradient. I used data on parasite life history and epidemiology to derive fitness estimates to measure local adaptation. The results demonstrate unambiguously that trajectories of host–parasite co-evolution are tightly coupled with parasite adaptation to the abiotic habitat, as the strength, and even direction, of local adaptation varied with temperature. Patterns of local adaptation further depended on how parasite fitness was estimated, highlighting the importance of choosing relevant fitness measures in studies of local adaptation.     

Local adaptation of a parasite to solar radiation impacts disease transmission potential,spore yield,and host fecundity*

Environmentally transmitted parasites spend time in the abiotic environment, where they are subjected to a variety of stressors. Learning how they face this challenge is essential if we are to understand how host–parasite interactions may vary across environmental gradients. We used a zooplankton–bacteria host–parasite system where availability of sunlight (solar radiation) influences disease dynamics to look for evidence of parasite local adaptation to sunlight exposure. We also examined how variation in sunlight tolerance among parasite strains impacted host reproduction. Parasite strains collected from clearer lakes (with greater sunlight penetration) were most tolerant of the negative impacts of sunlight exposure, suggesting local adaptation to sunlight conditions. This adaptation came with both a cost and a benefit for parasites: parasite strains from clearer lakes produced relatively fewer transmission stages (spores) but these strains were more infective. After experimental sunlight exposure, the most sunlight-tolerant parasite strains reduced host fecundity just as much as spores that were never exposed to sunlight. Sunlight availability varies greatly among lakes around the world. Our results suggest that the selective pressure sunlight exposure exerts on parasites may impact both parasite and host fitness, potentially driving variation in disease epidemics and host population dynamics across sunlight availability gradients.     

Are polyphagous geometrid moths with flightless females adapted to budburst phenology of local host species?

The majority of studies demonstrating local adaptation of insect herbivores involve sessile species, particularly those with a parthenogentic phase to their life history or endophagous "parasites" of plants. Current arguments suggest the strength of selection determines whether local adaptation can or cannot take place. Therefore local adaptation should not be limited to species with such traits. We studied the ability of three polyphagous geometrid moths with flightless adult females ( Erannis defoliaria , Operophtera brumata and O. fagata ) to synchronise their egg hatching with the budburst of a local host species in north east Scotland. A strong selection for hatching time is expected among generalist moths given the large variation in budburst phenology and an inability to hatch in synchrony with budburst decreases moth fitness substantially. In two successive seasons, we trapped emerging females from patches of five host species and recorded the temperature sum needed for 50% egg hatch of each brood laid by the trapped females. The hatching times of broods were compared against the average budburst time of the maternal host species in the study area. In addition, the trapping dates of each female were recorded. Only O. brumata showed synchrony with egg hatch and budburst which suggests local phenological adaptation to different host species . This could be maintained by selection and partial reproductive isolation between populations dwelling on different host species. No phenological adaptation was found in the other common geometrids of the study area.     

The roles of natural and sexual selection during adaptation to a novel environment

The net effect of sexual selection on nonsexual fitness is controversial. On one side, elaborate display traits and preferences for them can be costly, reducing the nonsexual fitness of individuals possessing them, as well as their offspring. In contrast, sexual selection may reinforce nonsexual fitness if an individual's attractiveness and quality are genetically correlated. According to recent models, such good-genes mate choice should increase both the extent and rate of adaptation. We evolved 12 replicate populations of Drosophila serrata in a powerful two-way factorial experimental design to test the separate and combined contributions of natural and sexual selection to adaptation to a novel larval food resource. Populations evolving in the presence of natural selection had significantly higher mean nonsexual fitness when measured over three generations (13-15) during the course of experimental evolution (16-23% increase). The effect of natural selection was even more substantial when measured in a standardized, monogamous mating environment at the end of the experiment (generation 16; 52% increase). In contrast, and despite strong sexual selection on display traits, there was no evidence from any of the four replicate fitness measures that sexual selection promoted adaptation. In addition, a comparison of fitness measures conducted under different mating environments demonstrated a significant direct cost of sexual selection to females, likely arising from some form of male-induced harm. Indirect benefits of sexual selection in promoting adaptation to this novel resource environment therefore appear to be absent in this species, despite prior evidence suggesting the operation of good-genes mate choice in their ancestral environment. How novel environments affect the operation of good-genes mate choice is a fundamental question for future sexual selection research.     

Diversification across a heterogeneous landscape

Adaptation to contrasting environments across a heterogeneous landscape favors the formation of ecotypes by promoting ecological divergence. Patterns of fitness variation in the field can show whether natural selection drives local adaptation and ecotype formation. However, to demonstrate a link between ecological divergence and speciation, local adaptation must have consequences for reproductive isolation. Using contrasting ecotypes of an Australian wildflower, Senecio lautus in common garden experiments, hybridization experiments, and reciprocal transplants, we assessed how the environment shapes patterns of adaptation and the consequences of adaptive divergence for reproductive isolation. Local adaptation was strong between ecotypes, but weaker between populations of the same ecotype. F1 hybrids exhibited heterosis, but crosses involving one native parent performed better than those with two foreign parents. In a common garden experiment, F2 hybrids exhibited reduced fitness compared to parentals and F1 hybrids, suggesting that few genetic incompatibilities have accumulated between populations adapted to contrasting environments. Our results show how ecological differences across the landscape have created complex patterns of local adaptation and reproductive isolation, suggesting that divergent natural selection has played a fundamental role in the early stages of species diversification.     

Benefits and potential trade‐offs associated with yeast‐like symbionts during virulence adaptation in a phloem‐feeding planthopper

Insect herbivores form symbioses with a diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. A role for endosymbionts during host feeding on nutrient‐poor diets – including phloem – is now supported by a large body of evidence. Furthermore, symbiont‐herbivore associations have been implicated in feeding preferences by host races (mainly aphids) on multiple plant species. However, the role of symbionts in mediating herbivore preferences between varieties of the same plant species has received little research attention despite the implications for virulence adaptation to resistant crops. This study investigates the role of yeast‐like symbionts (YLS) in virulence adaptation and host plant switching among populations of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), that were selected on various rice [Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae)] lines differing in their resistance against herbivores. Planthopper fitness (nymph weight) declined where YLS densities were depleted through heat treatment. However, compared to normal symbiotic planthoppers, the depletion of symbionts did not generally change the relative fitness of planthoppers (each ‘adapted’ to a single natal host) when switched to feed on a range of rice lines (exposed hosts). In some cases, this occurred despite differences in YLS density responses to the various hosts. Furthermore, we detected no fitness costs associated with YLS in adapted populations. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that, whereas YLS are essential for planthopper nutrition, changes in YLS density play little role during virulence adaptation and host plant switching by the brown planthopper.     

Pleiotropic Effects of Adaptation to a Single Carbon Source for Growth on Alternative Substrates

It is frequently assumed that populations of genetically modified microorganisms will perform their intended function and then disappear from the environment due to inherent fitness disadvantages resulting from their genetic alteration. However, modified organisms used in bioremediation can be expected to adapt evolutionarily to growth on the anthropogenic substrate that they are intended to degrade. If such adaptation results in improved competitiveness for alternative, naturally occurring substrates, then this will increase the likelihood that the modified organisms will persist in the environment. In this study, bacteria capable of degrading the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were used to test the effects of evolutionary adaptation to one substrate on fitness during growth on an alternative substrate. Twenty lineages of bacteria were allowed to evolve under abundant resource conditions on either 2,4-D or succinate as their sole carbon source. The competitiveness of each evolved line was then measured relative to that of its ancestor for growth on both substrates. Only three derived lines showed a clear drop in fitness on the alternative substrate after demonstrable adaptation to their selective substrate, while five derived lines showed significant simultaneous increases in fitness on both their selective and alternative substrates. These data demonstrate that adaptation to an anthropogenic substrate can pleiotropically increase competitiveness for an alternative natural substrate and therefore increase the likelihood that a genetically modified organism will persist in the environment.     

Population admixture,biological invasions and the balance between local adaptation and inbreeding depression

When previously isolated populations meet and mix, the resulting admixed population can benefit from several genetic advantages, including increased genetic variation, the creation of novel genotypes and the masking of deleterious mutations. These admixture benefits are thought to play an important role in biological invasions. In contrast, populations in their native range often remain differentiated and frequently suffer from inbreeding depression owing to isolation. While the advantages of admixture are evident for introduced populations that experienced recent bottlenecks or that face novel selection pressures, it is less obvious why native range populations do not similarly benefit from admixture. Here we argue that a temporary loss of local adaptation in recent invaders fundamentally alters the fitness consequences of admixture. In native populations, selection against dilution of the locally adapted gene pool inhibits unconstrained admixture and reinforces population isolation, with some level of inbreeding depression as an expected consequence. We show that admixture is selected against despite significant inbreeding depression because the benefits of local adaptation are greater than the cost of inbreeding. In contrast, introduced populations that have not yet established a pattern of local adaptation can freely reap the benefits of admixture. There can be strong selection for admixture because it instantly lifts the inbreeding depression that had built up in isolated parental populations. Recent work in Silene suggests that reduced inbreeding depression associated with post-introduction admixture may contribute to enhanced fitness of invasive populations. We hypothesize that in locally adapted populations, the benefits of local adaptation are balanced against an inbreeding cost that could develop in part owing to the isolating effect of local adaptation itself. The inbreeding cost can be revealed in admixing populations during recent invasions.     

Non-additive effects of herbivores and pollinators on Erysimum mediohispanicum (Cruciferae) fitness

In this study, the non-additivity of effects of herbivores and pollinator on fitness of the plant Erysimum mediohispanicum (Cruciferae) has been experimentally tested. The abundance and diversity of the pollinator assemblage of plants excluded from and exposed to mammalian herbivores, and the combined effect of pollinators and herbivores on plant reproduction were determined over a period of 2 years. Pollinator abundance was higher and diversity was lower on plants excluded from herbivores. Furthermore, the experimental exclusions demonstrated that both pollinators and herbivores affected plant fitness, but their effects were not independent. Herbivores only had a detrimental effect on plant fitness when pollinators were present. Similarly, pollinators enhanced fitness only when herbivores were excluded. This outcome demonstrates that the importance of pollinators for plant fitness depends on the occurrence of herbivores, and suggests that herbivores may hamper pollinator-mediated adaptation in plants.     

Inter-population differences in the tolerance of a marsupial folivore to plant secondary metabolites

Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) strongly influence diet selection by mammalian herbivores. Concentrations of PSMs vary within and among plant species, and across landscapes. Therefore, local adaptations may cause different populations of herbivores to differ in their ability to tolerate PSMs. Here, we tested the food intake responses of three populations of a marsupial folivore, the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr), from different latitudes and habitat types, to four types of PSMs. We found clear variation in the responses of northern and southern Australian possums to PSMs. Brushtail possums from southern Australia showed marked decreases in food intake in response to all four PSMs, while the two populations from northern Australia were not as sensitive and their responses did not differ from one another. These results were unexpected, based on our understanding of the experiences of these populations with PSMs in the wild. Our results suggest that geographically separated populations of possums may have evolved differing abilities to cope with PSMs, as a result of local adaptation to their natural environments. Our results provide the basis for future studies to investigate the mechanisms by which populations of mammalian species differ in their ability to tolerate PSMs.