The Metatron: an experimental system to study dispersal and metaecosystems for terrestrial organisms

Legrand, Delphine; Guillaume, Olivier; Baguette, Michel; Côté, Julien; Trochet, Audrey; Calvez, Olivier; Zajitschek, Susanne; Zajitschek, Felix; Lecomte, Jane; Bénard, Quentin; Galliard, Jean‐François Le; Clobert, Jean

doi:10.1038/nmeth.2104

Cited by 75 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Results also suggest the potential for the evolution of dispersal to influence metapopulation and metacommunity dynamics by altering the connectivity depending on regional landscape heterogeneity. We acknowledge that empirical dispersal data are difficult to obtain [29]; however, we hope that experimental facilities designed to study dispersal such as the Metatron [66] and recent developments in spatial networks, least-cost-path analysis and other indirect methods to quantify dispersal and connectivity might address this issue (reviewed in [27,54]) and allow tests of the theoretical predictions demonstrated here.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

On the evolution of dispersal via heterogeneity in spatial connectivity

et al. 2015

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Dispersal has long been recognized as a mechanism that shapes many observed ecological and evolutionary processes. Thus, understanding the factors that promote its evolution remains a major goal in evolutionary ecology. Landscape connectivity may mediate the trade-off between the forces in favour of dispersal propensity (e.g. kin-competition, local extinction probability) and those against it (e.g. energetic or survival costs of dispersal). It remains, however, an open question how differing degrees of landscape connectivity may select for different dispersal strategies. We implemented an individual-based model to study the evolution of dispersal on landscapes that differed in the variance of connectivity across patches ranging from networks with all patches equally connected to highly heterogeneous networks. The parthenogenetic individuals dispersed based on a flexible logistic function of local abundance. Our results suggest, all else being equal, that landscapes differing in their connectivity patterns will select for different dispersal strategies and that these strategies confer a long-term fitness advantage to individuals at the regional scale. The strength of the selection will, however, vary across network types, being stronger on heterogeneous landscapes compared with the ones where all patches have equal connectivity. Our findings highlight how landscape connectivity can determine the evolution of dispersal strategies, which in turn affects how we think about important ecological dynamics such as metapopulation persistence and range expansion.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

On the evolution of dispersal via heterogeneity in spatial connectivity

et al. 2015

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“…The time an individual spent flying during the test was calculated, with high values reflecting good mobility. This test has been described previously (Ducatez et al, 2012b) and is known as a good proxy of dispersal in experimental metapopulations (Legrand et al, 2012). Butterflies were never harmed by the test and previous studies showed that other tested butterflies flew and mated in experimental conditions (Ducatez et al, 2012b;Trochet et al, 2013).…”

Section: The Journal Of Experimental Biology 216 (16) Flight Capacitymentioning

confidence: 90%

“…This implies that dispersers on the one hand and residents on the other hand may harbour the same characteristics. For example, in P. brassicae, dispersers have been shown to exhibit longer wings and higher mobility than residents (Legrand et al, 2012). Dispersers and residents may also use different types of movements.…”

Section: The Journal Of Experimental Biology 216 (16)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Intra- and inter-individual variations in flight direction in a migratory butterfly co-vary with individual mobility

Larranaga

Baguette

Calvez

et al. 2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYFlight direction is a major component of an animal's migratory success. However, few studies have focused on variation in flight direction both between and within individuals, which is likely to be correlated with other traits implied in migration processes. We report patterns of intra-and inter-individual variation in flight direction in the large white butterfly Pieris brassicae. The presence of inter-individual variation in flight direction for individuals tested in the same conditions suggests that this trait is inherited in P. brassicae and we propose that a rapid loss of migratory skills may exist in the absence of selection for migration. The magnitude of intra-individual variation was negatively correlated to two surrogates of the potential for migration: mobility and wing length. Highly mobile and longed-winged individuals within the same family were found to fly in similar directions, whereas less mobile and short-winged individuals displayed divergent flight direction compared with the average direction of their kin. There was also a negative correlation between the variance to the mean flight direction of a family and its average mobility, but no correlation with wing length. We discuss these issues in terms of the evolution of traits potentially implied in both migration and dispersal in P. brassicae.

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“…measures of bird dispersal at the Savannah River Site, [158]). Another example is the Metatron, a structure of 48 patches of 100 m 2 arranged on a grid and connected by corridors, which allows to study dispersal behaviours of small animals over months to years [159]. Field data provide weaker tests of theories than do experimental tests, since causes and consequences may not really be disentangled in the absence of manipulation, and since diverse factors may interact to select for or against dispersal.…”

Section: Empirical Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An empiricist's guide to theoretical predictions on the evolution of dispersal

2013

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Dispersal, the tendency for organisms to reproduce away from their parents, influences many evolutionary and ecological processes, from speciation and extinction events, to the coexistence of genotypes within species or biological invasions. Understanding how dispersal evolves is crucial to predict how global changes might affect species persistence and geographical distribution. The factors driving the evolution of dispersal have been well characterized from a theoretical standpoint, and predictions have been made about their respective influence on, for example, dispersal polymorphism or the emergence of dispersal syndromes. However, the experimental tests of some theories remain scarce partly because a synthetic view of theoretical advances is still lacking. Here, we review the different ingredients of models of dispersal evolution, from selective pressures and types of predictions, through mathematical and ecological assumptions, to the methods used to obtain predictions. We provide perspectives as to which predictions are easiest to test, how theories could be better exploited to provide testable predictions, what theoretical developments are needed to tackle this topic, and we place the question of the evolution of dispersal within the larger interdisciplinary framework of eco-evolutionary dynamics.

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The Metatron: an experimental system to study dispersal and metaecosystems for terrestrial organisms

Cited by 75 publications

References 27 publications

On the evolution of dispersal via heterogeneity in spatial connectivity

On the evolution of dispersal via heterogeneity in spatial connectivity

Intra- and inter-individual variations in flight direction in a migratory butterfly co-vary with individual mobility

An empiricist's guide to theoretical predictions on the evolution of dispersal

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