Journal
PEERJ
Volume 1, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PEERJ INC
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.163
Keywords
Microgeographic differentiation; Adaptation and maladaptation; Contemporary evolution; Road salt; Conservation; Roads and runoff
Categories
Funding
- National Science Foundation [DEB 1011335]
- Mianus River Gorge Preserve Research Assistantship Program
- Yale Carpenter/Sperry/Mellon fund
- Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies
- Hixon Center for Urban Ecology
- American Museum of Natural History Theodore Roosevelt Fund
- Federated Garden Club of Connecticut
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Despite theoretical understanding and empirical detection of local adaptation in natural environments, our knowledge of such divergence in fragmented habitats remains limited, especially in the context of microgeographic spatial scales and contemporary time scales. I used a combination of reciprocal transplant and common garden exposure experiments to evaluate potential microgeographic divergence in a pool-breeding amphibian occupying a landscape fragmented by roads. As indicated by reduced rates of survival and increased rates of malformation, I found evidence for maladaptation in road adjacent populations. This response is in direct counterpoint to recently described local adaption by a cohabiting species of amphibian. These results suggest that while divergence might commonly follow habitat modification, the direction of its outcome cannot be generalized even in identical habitats. Further, maladaptive responses can be associated with a more generalized depression effect that transcends the local environment. Alongside recent reports, these results suggest that maladaptive responses may be an emerging consequence of human-induced environmental change. Thus future studies should carefully consider the population unit as a key level for inference.
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