Chalmers Conferences, 9th European Conference on Mathematical and Theoretical Biology

Community dynamics and the evolution of dispersal
Francois Massol

Last modified: 2014-06-09

Abstract



One of the tenets of modern community ecology is that dispersal might affect, positively or negatively, the coexistence of species. This can occur e.g. when species have different abilities to compete (the so-called competition-colonization trade-off) or when the environment is heterogeneous and different species fare best in each type of environment (species sorting and source-sink effects). Here, I will present recent advances linking the evolution of dispersal to community dynamics and structure. In particular, I will focus on the effect of environmental heterogeneity on the evolution of dispersal, and how this evolution of dispersal might in turn affect biodiversity patterns.