Interaction traits and metacommunity gene flow

• Mark C. Urban

Abstract
The metacommunity framework is stimulating novel predictions about community dynamics by considering both local species interactions and regional migration. In a similar manner, local evolution and gene flow can shape the diversity of ecologically relevant traits which, in turn, can alter local species interactions. Hence joint consideration of evolutionary and ecological processes may offer additional insights about communities. However, few empirical generalizations have emerged about how landscape connectivity and community heterogeneity govern trait distributions of interacting species in metacommunities. Toward this end, I am synthesizing data on variation in interaction traits—those characters that shape the outcomes of interspecific encounters—to explore relationships between trait distributions, community structure and landscape connectivity. Using assimilated data on natural and common garden studies of interaction trait variation, I then plan to evaluate interaction trait variation attributed to gene flow and community composition as conditioned on species’ dispersal abilities and generation lengths. Results will be used to inform rapidly advancing theories on evolution in metacommunities.