New study reveals evolution's role in ecosystem stability and tipping points

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Monash University biologists have discovered that evolution can significantly impact the stability and tipping points of ecosystems, potentially causing early ecosystem collapse or aiding in their recovery.

The study, led by Ph.D. candidate Chris Blake and Associate Professor Mike McDonald from the Monash University School of Biological Sciences, and published today in Nature Ecology and Evolution, provides the first experimental evidence that evolutionary processes can influence ecosystem tipping points.

The team evolved a microbial community for 4,000 generations, offering critical insights for managing larger ecosystems facing environmental threats.

"Many ecosystems, like coral reefs, are nearing critical thresholds where even minor environmental shifts can lead to dramatic changes and biodiversity loss," said Associate Professor McDonald.

"Our research shows that these tipping points are not static; they can evolve, which means ecosystems might collapse sooner or resist longer than expected."

The team's experiment involved guiding the evolution of microbial communities, specifically yeast and E. coli, for 4,000 generations.

By tracking ecological stability before and after co-evolution, they found that evolution can dramatically alter tipping point behavior.

Increased competition among evolved community members led to an earlier collapse, but when the microbes were evolved to withstand environmental stress, they adapted quickly, delaying the tipping point.

A mathematical model developed alongside the experiments demonstrated how specific trait changes affect ecological resilience, reinforcing the experimental outcomes that the adaptation of key species can indeed shift an ecosystem's tipping point.

"This discovery suggests we could use evolutionary strategies to strengthen the resilience of crucial microbial ecosystems—such as those within plant and animal hosts—against human-induced environmental changes," said Blake.

The implications of this study extend beyond microbes.

As human activities continue to disrupt ecosystems worldwide, these findings suggest evolutionary approaches could enhance the resilience of threatened ecosystems.

"Our findings indicate that to build resilience effectively, strategies like directed evolution or genetic engineering should focus on enhancing tolerance to environmental changes while maintaining stable population growth and interspecies dynamics," said Blake.

Despite these promising insights, the researchers note that further studies are needed to apply these findings to more complex ecosystems with multiple species.

These results show the importance of considering evolutionary processes in assessing ecosystem stability and predicting tipping points.

As climate change and environmental pressures increase, this research offers new strategies for conservation and ecosystem management.

More information: Christopher Blake et al, Evolutionary shift of a tipping point can precipitate, or forestall, collapse in a microbial community, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02543-0. www.nature.com/articles/s41559-024-02543-0

Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution

Provided by Monash University