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Adaptation to Marginal Habitats

Adaptation to Marginal Habitats The ability to adapt to marginal habitats, in which survival and reproduction are initially poor, plays a crucial role in the evolution of ecological niches and species ranges. Adaptation to marginal habitats may be limited by genetic, developmental, and functional constraints, but also by consequences of demographic characteristics of marginal populations. Marginal populations are often sparse, fragmented, prone to local extinctions, or are demographic sinks subject to high immigration from high-quality core habitats. This makes them demographically and genetically dependent on core habitats and prone to gene flow counteracting local selection. Theoretical and empirical research in the past decade has advanced our understanding of conditions that favor adaptation to marginal habitats despite those limitations. This review is an attempt at synthesis of those developments and of the emerging conceptual framework. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Annual Reviews

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References (117)

Publisher
Annual Reviews
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved
ISSN
0066-4162
DOI
10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.38.091206.095622
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The ability to adapt to marginal habitats, in which survival and reproduction are initially poor, plays a crucial role in the evolution of ecological niches and species ranges. Adaptation to marginal habitats may be limited by genetic, developmental, and functional constraints, but also by consequences of demographic characteristics of marginal populations. Marginal populations are often sparse, fragmented, prone to local extinctions, or are demographic sinks subject to high immigration from high-quality core habitats. This makes them demographically and genetically dependent on core habitats and prone to gene flow counteracting local selection. Theoretical and empirical research in the past decade has advanced our understanding of conditions that favor adaptation to marginal habitats despite those limitations. This review is an attempt at synthesis of those developments and of the emerging conceptual framework.

Journal

Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and SystematicsAnnual Reviews

Published: Dec 1, 2008

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