Scale dependence of immigration rates: models, metrics and data

1. We examine the relationship between immigration rate and patch area for different types of movement behaviours and detection modes. Theoretical models suggest that the scale dependence of the immigration rate per unit area (I/A) can be described by a power model I/A = i*Area(zeta), where zeta describes the strength of the scale dependence. 2. Three types of scaling were identified. Area scaling (zeta = 0) is expected for passively dispersed organisms that have the same probability of landing anywhere in the patch. Perimeter scaling (-0.30 > zeta > -0.45) is expected when patches are detected from a very short distance and immigrants arrive over the patch boundary, whereas diameter scaling (zeta = -0.5) is expected if patches are detected from a long distance or if search is approximately linear. 3. A meta-analysis of published empirical studies of the scale dependence of immigration rates in terrestrial insects suggests that butterflies show diameter scaling, aphids show area scaling, and the scaling of beetle immigration is highly variable. We conclude that the scaling of immigration rates in many cases can be predicted from search behaviour and the mode of patch detection.     

Between migration load and evolutionary rescue: dispersal,adaptation and the response of spatially structured populations to environmental change

The evolutionary potential of populations is mainly determined by population size and available genetic variance. However, the adaptability of spatially structured populations may also be affected by dispersal: positively by spreading beneficial mutations across sub-populations, but negatively by moving locally adapted alleles between demes. We develop an individual-based, two-patch, allelic model to investigate the balance between these opposing effects on a population''s evolutionary response to rapid climate change. Individual fitness is controlled by two polygenic traits coding for local adaptation either to the environment or to climate. Under conditions of selection that favour the evolution of a generalist phenotype (i.e. weak divergent selection between patches) dispersal has an overall positive effect on the persistence of the population. However, when selection favours locally adapted specialists, the beneficial effects of dispersal outweigh the associated increase in maladaptation for a narrow range of parameter space only (intermediate selection strength and low linkage among loci), where the spread of beneficial climate alleles is not strongly hampered by selection against non-specialists. Given that local selection across heterogeneous and fragmented landscapes is common, the complex effect of dispersal that we describe will play an important role in determining the evolutionary dynamics of many species under rapidly changing climate.     

Site-occupancy in relation to flight-morphology in caddisflies

1. The relationship between morphology and site‐occupancy provides opportunities to infer differences in dispersal and flight ability, but empirical data for aquatic insects is limited. 2. In this study, 17 species of caddisflies from 10 families were collected from springs, streams and lakes, and total body mass, relative thorax mass, relative wing area (wing loading), and the aspect ratio of the fore and hind wings (combined) were measured. 3. Partial least‐squares regression analysis of two independent distributional data sets produced significant models within which total body mass, relative thorax mass and wing loading were positively associated with site‐occupancy, whereas aspect ratio was negatively associated with site‐occupancy. 4. These results suggest that the faunal composition of streams is influenced by species dispersal abilities.