Local adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, and species coexistence

Understanding the mechanisms of species coexistence has always been a fundamental topic in ecology. Classical theory predicts that interspecific competition may select for traits stabilize niche differences, although recent work shows this is not strictly necessary. Here we ask whether adaptive phenotypic plasticity could allow (i.e., some stability at an equilibrium point) without ecological differentiation habitat use. We used individual-based stochastic simulations defining landscape composed spatially uncorrelated or autocorrelated environmental patches, where two with same competitive strategies, able to coexist form plasticity, expanded their ranges absence competition-colonization trade-off (a well-studied mechanism diversity). Each patch characterized by random value determines optimal phenotype its occupants. In such scenario, only local adaptation and gene flow (migration) interact promote genetic variation metapopulation. Results show competitively inferior can superior, non-plastic species, provided migration rates variances patches' values are sufficiently large.