title: Population Genetics and Demography Unite Ecology and Evolution.
abstract: The interplay of ecology and evolution has been a rich area of research for decades. A surge of interest in this area was catalyzed by the observation that evolution by natural selection can operate at the same contemporary timescales as ecological dynamics. Specifically, recent eco-evolutionary research focuses on how rapid adaptation influences ecology, and vice versa. Evolution by non-adaptive forces also occurs quickly, with ecological consequences, but understanding the full scope of ecology-evolution (eco-evo) interactions requires explicitly addressing population-level processes - genetic and demographic. We show the strong ecological effects of non-adaptive evolutionary forces and, more broadly, the value of population-level research for gaining a mechanistic understanding of eco-evo interactions. The breadth of eco-evolutionary research should expand to incorporate the breadth of evolution itself.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA. Electronic address: winsor.lowe@umontana.edu.
authors.forename: Winsor H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Glacier National Park, West Glacier, MT 59936, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Kovach
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
authors.forename: Fred W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Allendorf
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D003710:Demography; D004463:Ecology; D005828:Genetics, Population; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012641:Selection, Genetic
keywords: demography; density dependence; dispersal; genetic drift; genetics; natural selection