DOI: 10.5061/dryad.dz08kprt0
title: Spatial connectedness imposes local- and metapopulation-level selection on life history through feedbacks on demography

description: Dispersal evolution impacts the fluxes of individuals and hence,
 connectivity in metapopulations. Connectivity is therefore decoupled from
 the structural connectedness of the patches within the spatial network.
 Because of demographic feedbacks, local selection also drives the
 evolution of other life history traits. We investigated how different
 levels of connectedness affect trait evolution in experimental
 metapopulations of the two-spotted spider mite. We separated local- and
 metapopulation-level selection and linked trait divergence to population
 dynamics.
description: Metapopulations of <em>T. urticae</em> were
 established on a 3-by-3 grid of patches connected with bridges of
 different length and let to evolve for ~12 generations. A subset of the
 replicates were weekly randomized to remove local kin and kind structure.
 Local population densities were recorded once a week.
 After the experimental evolution period, different evolved traits
 were tested: starvation resistence, individual growth rate and dispersal
 propensity.
description: Longterm_metapops: local population density over the long-term
 evolution experiment. Variables: TREAT  (factor; code of metapopulation) 
 PATCH  (factor; code of local population)  DATE (date; day of recording)  
 AFEMA (numeric; n. of adult females recorded)   AFEMA_After (numeric; n.
 of adult females moved back to the experimental setup)   WEEK (numeric;
 progressive n. of weeks since the beginning of the experiment)  
 AFEMA_tminus1 (numeric; n. of adult females recorded at time T-1)   DeltaT
 (numeric; n. of days since the last record)  LENGTH (factor;
 metapopulation connectedness)   NO_R (factor; was randomization
 performed?)   REPLICATE (numeric; n. of replicate metapopulation for a
 given treatment (connectedness*randomization))
 Dispersal_Disps: n. of daily dispersers during the dispersal
 propensity trial. Variables: Metapop  (factor; code of metapopulation of
 origin)  Length (factor; metapopulation connectedness)   was.random
 (binary; was randomization performed?)   Density  (factor; starting
 density of the trial)  Time (days)  Bridge (numeric; n. individuals
 recorded on the bridge)   Cotton  (numeric; n. individuals recorded
 drowned in the cotton around the trial setup)  Dispersers (numeric; n.
 individuals who succesfully dispersed)   Disps_cumsum (numeric; cumulative
 sum of dispersers) IndividualGrowth: n. of eggs, larvae
 and juveniles recorded for each individual during the individual growth
 rate trial. Variables: crate (factor; code of metapopulation of origin) 
  patch  (factor; code of local population of origin)  position (factor;
 position of the patch: corner, center of edge)   replicate (numeric; n. of
 replicate for each local population)   time (numeric; day of recording)  
 eggs (numeric; n. of eggs spotted)   larvae (numeric; n. of larvae
 spotted)  juveniles (numeric; n. of juveniles spotted) 
  adults_F (numeric; n. of adult females spotted)   adults_M (numeric; n.
 of adult males spotted)   LENGTH (factor; metapopulation connectedness) 
  was.random (binary; was randomization performed?)  dailyEgg (numeric; n.
 of eggs laid that day)  lifeEgg (numeric; n. of eggs laid during the whole
 lifetime till that day) Starvation: n. of surviving
 individuals at each time point. Variables: T (numeric; time point number)
   Time (numeric; n. of hours from the beginning of the trials)   Alive
 (numeric; n. of alive individuals)   Dead (numeric; n. of dead
 individuals)   Missing (numeric; n. of missing individuals)  
 Metapop (factor; code of metapopulation of origin)   Lenght (factor;
 metapopulation connectedness)   was.random (binary; was randomization
 performed?)