The importance and adaptive value of life history evolution for metapopulation dynamics

Abstract The spatial configuration and size of patches influence metapopulation dynamics by altering colonisation-extinction dynamics and local density-dependency. This spatial forcing then additionally impose strong selection pressures on life history traits, which will in turn feedback on the ecological metapopulation dynamics. Given the relevance of metapopulation persistence for biological conservation, and the potential rescuing role of evolution, a firm understanding of the relevance of these eco-evolutionary processes is essential.We here follow a system’s modelling approach to disentangle the role of this spatial forcing (classical, mainland-island or patchy metapopulation types) relative to realistic life history evolution for metapopulation demography as quantified by (meta)population size and variability. We developed an individual based model based on earlier experimental evolution with spider mites to perform virtual translocation and invasion experiments that would have been otherwise impossible to conduct.We show that (1) metapopulation demography is more affected by spatial forcing than by life history evolution, but that life history evolution contributes substantially to changes in local and especially metapopulation-level population sizes, (2) extinction rates are minimised by evolution in classical metapopulations, and (3) evolution is optimising individual performance in metapopulations when considering the importance of more cryptic stress resistance evolution.We thus provide evidence that metapopulation-level selection maximises individual performance and more importantly, that –at least in our system-evolutionary changes impact metapopulation dynamics, especially factors related to local and metapopulation sizes.