Spatial evolutionary dynamics produce a negative cooperation-population size relationship.

Edward W Tekwa, Andrew Gonzalez, Michel Loreau
Author Information
  1. Edward W Tekwa: Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA; Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Dr. Penfield, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada. Electronic address: wongtekwa@gmail.com.
  2. Andrew Gonzalez: Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Dr. Penfield, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada.
  3. Michel Loreau: Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS and Paul Sabatier University, 09200, Moulis, France.

Abstract

Natural selection can favour cooperation, but it is unclear when cooperative populations should be larger than less cooperative ones. While experiments have shown that cooperation can increase population size, cooperation and population size can become negatively correlated if spatial processes affect both variables in opposite directions. We use a simple mathematical model of spatial common-pool resource production to investigate how space affects the cooperation-population size relationship. We find that only cooperation that is sufficiently beneficial to neighbours increases population size. However, spatial clustering variations can create a negative cooperation-population relationship between populations even when cooperation is highly beneficial, because clustering selects for cooperation but decreases population size. Individual-based simulations with variable individual movement rates produced variation in spatial clustering and the hypothesized negative cooperation-population relationships. These results suggest that variation in spatial clustering can limit the size of evolutionarily stable cooperating populations - an ecological dilemma of cooperation.

Keywords

MeSH Term

Cooperative Behavior
Genetics, Population
Humans
Models, Theoretical
Population Density
Population Dynamics
Spatial Analysis

Word Cloud

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