Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1002/ece3.6019
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Sperm storage reduces the strength of the mate‐finding Allee effect
Author Jiménez‐Franco, M.V.; Giménez, A.; Rodríguez‐Caro, R.C.; Sanz‐Aguilar, A.; Botella, F.; Anadón, J.D.; Wiegand, T.; Graciá, E.
Source Titel Ecology and Evolution
Year 2020
Department OESA; MET; iDiv
Volume 10
Issue 4
Page From 1938
Page To 1948
Language englisch
Data and Software links https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.11498703.v1
Supplements https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1002%2Fece3.6019&file=ece36019-sup-0001-AppendixS1.docx
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1002%2Fece3.6019&file=ece36019-sup-0002-AppendixS2.docx
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1002%2Fece3.6019&file=ece36019-sup-0003-AppendixS3.doc
Keywords human‐altered landscape; individual‐based modeling; limited movement ability; low‐density population; population extinction; population growth rate; reproductive rate; Testudo graeca
Abstract Mate searching is a key component of sexual reproduction that can have important implications for population viability, especially for the mate‐finding Allee effect. Interannual sperm storage by females may be an adaptation that potentially attenuates mate limitation, but the demographic consequences of this functional trait have not been studied. Our goal is to assess the effect of female sperm storage durability on the strength of the mate‐finding Allee effect and the viability of populations subject to low population density and habitat alteration. We used an individual‐based simulation model that incorporates realistic representations of the demographic and spatial processes of our model species, the spur‐thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca). This allowed for a detailed assessment of reproductive rates, population growth rates, and extinction probabilities. We also studied the relationship between the number of reproductive males and the reproductive rates for scenarios combining different levels of sperm storage durability, initial population density, and landscape alteration. Our results showed that simulated populations parameterized with the field‐observed demographic rates collapsed for short sperm storage durability, but were viable for a durability of one year or longer. In contrast, the simulated populations with a low initial density were only viable in human‐altered landscapes for sperm storage durability of 4 years. We find that sperm storage is an effective mechanism that can reduce the strength of the mate‐finding Allee effect and contribute to the persistence of low‐density populations. Our study highlights the key role of sperm storage in the dynamics of species with limited movement ability to facilitate reproduction in patchy landscapes or during population expansion. This study represents the first quantification of the effect of sperm storage durability on population dynamics in different landscapes and population scenarios.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=22809
Jiménez‐Franco, M.V., Giménez, A., Rodríguez‐Caro, R.C., Sanz‐Aguilar, A., Botella, F., Anadón, J.D., Wiegand, T., Graciá, E. (2020):
Sperm storage reduces the strength of the mate‐finding Allee effect
Ecol. Evol. 10 (4), 1938 - 1948 10.1002/ece3.6019