@article{ref1,
title="A metapopulation paradox: partial improvement of habitat may reduce metapopulation persistence",
journal="American naturalist",
year="2011",
author="Poethke, Hans J. and Dytham, Calvin and Hovestadt, Thomas",
volume="177",
number="6",
pages="792-799",
abstract="The adverse influence of habitat degradation on the survival of populations may sometimes be amplified by rapid evolution over ecological timescales. This phenomenon of &quot;evolutionary suicide&quot; has been described in theoretical as well as empirical studies. However, no studies have suggested that habitat improvement could possibly also trigger an evolutionary response that would result in a decline in population size. We use individual-based simulations to demonstrate the potential for such a paradoxical response. An increase in the quality, size, or stability of only a fraction of the habitat patches in a metapopulation may result in an evolutionary decline in the dispersal propensity of individuals, followed by a decrease in recolonization, a reduction in the number of patches occupied, a decline in overall population size, and even extinction. Thus, well-intended conservation efforts that ignore potential evolutionary consequences of habitat management may increase the extinction risk of populations.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0003-0147",
doi="10.1086/659995",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/659995"
}