Empirical evidence of plasticity in life-history characteristics across climatic and fish density gradients
| Autor: | Theresa Godin, John R. Post, Nigel P. Lester, Paul J. Askey, Hillary G.M. Ward |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Resource (biology) Ecology 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology media_common.quotation_subject Aquatic Science Population ecology Biology Plasticity 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Competition (biology) Life History Characteristics Productivity (ecology) Fish Empirical evidence Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics media_common |
| Zdroj: | Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 74:464-474 |
| ISSN: | 1205-7533 0706-652X |
| Popis: | Understanding how environmental productivity and resource competition influence somatic growth rates and plasticity in life-history traits is a critical component of population ecology. However, evolutionary effects often confound the relationship between plasticity in life-history characteristics and environmental productivity. We used a unique set of experimentally stocked populations of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to empirically test predictions from life-history theory relating to patterns in immature growth rates, age- and size-at-maturity, and the energy allocated into reproduction across climatic and fish density gradients. Our results support theoretical predictions that plasticity in life-history characteristics is a function of environmental variables. In particular, we demonstrate that immature growth rates are best explained by climatic and density-dependent competition effects and that age-at-maturity and the energy allocated to reproduction depends on juvenile growth conditions. Empirical evidence of these relationships helps to improve our understanding of optimal life-history strategies of fish populations. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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