Jiménez-Franco, M.V., Giménez, A., Rodgríguez-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. Ecology and Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6019
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).
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| Photo: wikipedia.org |
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.
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