To date, most research has centered on understanding how climate change will affect species by affecting abiotic components of the fundamental niche. Fewer studies include the role of species interactions, even though most of the severe impacts to date have been mediated by them. Even fewer studies include the role of adaptive evolution in mediating responses to climate change. However, adaptive evolution might rescue populations from the damaging effects of climate change and novel species interactions by allowing them to adapt to changes in situ. The next step is to understand how both of these ecological and evolutionary dynamics interact. Here, I evaluate how species interactions and evolution might jointly alter responses to climate change using both theoretical evidence as well as empirical evidence from our research on the climate-fueled expansion of an apex predator in temporary ponds.
Results/Conclusions
The interaction between species interactions and evolution can dramatically influence responses to climate change. Specifically, evolution is necessary to retain full diversity in theoretical models that is reduced through the joint effects of climate change and species interactions. Evidence from empirical work suggests that apex predators are expanding in northern ponds as a consequence of warmer winters. Manipulations show strong effects of these predator introductions on everything from community composition to ecosystem energy pathways. Some of these effects are potentially moderated by adaptive dynamics in other species suggesting some resilience via eco-evolutionary dynamics. Current forecasts likely underestimate climate change impacts on ecosystems by neglecting the joint impacts of species interactions and evolution. In the future, we will need better estimates of both food web dynamics in space and adaptive potential if we hope to predict ecosystem threats from climate change more accurately.