HIREC (Human-Induced Rapid Environmental Change)
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HIREC is used as an umbrella term, in order to describe the different ways and the speed that human activities change the environment, and disrupt the natural processes of ecosystems. Although there are several types of environmental changes attributed to humans, the most impactful of them are climate change, pollutants, the spread of invasive species, habitat loss or/and fragmentation, and harvesting[1]. The alteration that HIREC introduces within the species communities, results in high levels of selective pressure, favoring the individuals that can adapt faster. That in succession leads to rapid evolutionary responses, such as accelerated rates of speciation or extinction, although far less are known regarding the speciation compared to extinction[2]. A significant part of the adaptation can be attributed to phenotypic plasticity, rather than genetic evolution (for example behavioral plasticity)[3].
HIREC and animals[edit]
The first and the most famous example of a species rapid evolution as a response to human activities, comes from the industrial areas of England, during the mid-19th century, and it’s the case of Industrial Melanism. As a consequence of the pollution, around the industrial areas of England, and the darkening of the surfaces, there was a phenotypic shift in the colour of the moth Biston betularia, resulting in a darker colour (carbonaria) prevailing within the population, which was more advantageous, in terms of camouflage and avoiding predation. The variation in the phenotype switched back to the pre-industrial condition , after harder legislation for pollution was introduced.
Many more examples come from contemporary research, regarding the selection pressure that humans exert. Commercial fishing has been observed that has an impact at life history traits, such as the age and size that fish have when reaching maturation, in species that are commercially exploited[4]. In a broad range of species, behavioral responses have also been documented. It has been estimated that global warming is shifting the migration timing by 2.3 days per decade[5].
One very interesting aspect of HIREC is the urban environments, which are creating novel environmental challenges and share common features, across the globe, while varying in other characteristics based on their history, political situation, etc[6]. A study on lizards of the species Anolis cristatellus between urban and natural habitat populations concluded that there was a significant difference in the ecology and morphological features between them. Lizards in urban areas, using broader than natural, artificial surfaces had predictably larger limbs and more subdigital scales compared with forest populations[7].
HIREC and plants[edit]
The biological characteristics of a plant (physiology, life circle, etc) typically limit its survival in just a range of environmental conditions. Human agricultural activities have been changing these conditions by increasing the supply of nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorous) in terrestrial ecosystems, while reducing the Calcium, leading to soil acidification. Additionally, climate change, the increased rate of fires, fragmentation, spread of exotic species and more, modify further the environmental conditions, leading to selective pressure that alters the distribution, biodiversity, and natural functions of terrestrial and aquatic plant communities[8]. It has been shown that HIREC has an impact on hybridization, pollen distribution, inbreeding, etc[2].
See also[edit]
- Books related to HIREC: Darwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution, by Menno Schilthuizen
- https://www.naturalis.nl/en/evolutionary-ecology
References[edit]
- ↑ Sih, Andrew, Maud CO Ferrari, and David J. Harris. "Evolution and behavioural responses to human‐induced rapid environmental change." Evolutionary applications 4.2 (2011): 367-387.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Otto, Sarah P. "Adaptation, speciation and extinction in the Anthropocene." Proceedings of the Royal Society B 285.1891 (2018): 20182047.
- ↑ Sih, Andrew. "Understanding variation in behavioural responses to human-induced rapid environmental change: a conceptual overview." Animal Behaviour 85.5 (2013): 1077-1088.
- ↑ Sharpe, Diana MT, and Andrew P. Hendry. "SYNTHESIS: life history change in commercially exploited fish stocks: an analysis of trends across studies." Evolutionary applications 2.3 (2009): 260-275.
- ↑ Parmesan, Camille, and Gary Yohe. "A globally coherent fingerprint of climate change impacts across natural systems." nature 421.6918 (2003): 37-42.
- ↑ Johnson, Marc TJ, and Jason Munshi-South. "Evolution of life in urban environments." Science 358.6363 (2017).
- ↑ Winchell, Kristin M., et al. "Phenotypic shifts in urban areas in the tropical lizard Anolis cristatellus." Evolution 70.5 (2016): 1009-1022.
- ↑ Tilman, David, and Clarence Lehman. "Human-caused environmental change: impacts on plant diversity and evolution." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 98.10 (2001): 5433-5440.
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