Buying Time: Plasticity and Population Persistence

Abstract

In this chapter, we focus on the ecological and evolutionary causes of variation in adaptive phenotypic plasticity versus a more specialized strategy (Figure 6.1). We first review the evolutionary drivers of plasticity, evaluating the classic role of environmen- tal variation relative to other factors such as novel, extreme environments. Second, we review the costs and limits associated with phenotypic plasticity and review how empirical findings have challenged our conceptual understanding. Finally, we discuss exciting areas of future research. Throughout this chapter, we also consider the paral- lel literature on variation in niche breadth, as in many cases, variation in the degree of generalization is due at least in part to underlying plasticity.