title: The evolutionary consequences of indirect effects.
abstract: Indirect effects occur when the effect of one species on another is mediated by a third species or through other links in the ecosystem. Indirect interactions are widespread in nature with effects on the properties of populations, communities, and ecosystems. Despite their far-reaching ecological relevance, the evolutionary importance of indirect effects has only recently garnered attention. Here I highlight recent research illustrating significant evolutionary consequences of indirect effects. These studies span field and laboratory studies as well as terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. I argue that these results provide a blueprint that future research can utilize to evaluate the link between the ecological community and evolution and, thereby, improve the predictive power of evolution in a natural setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. matthew.walsh@uta.edu
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017753:Ecosystem; D023781:Fundulidae; D014644:Genetic Variation; D060434:Herbivory; D052583:Sarraceniaceae; D012641:Selection, Genetic