Evolutionary Rescue in a Changing World

MONTPELLIER, FRANCE – JUNE 7 2011

The aim of this conference is to synthesize recent advances improving our understanding of the role of evolutionary mechanisms in species responses to global change and of how these mechanisms may affect biodiversity patterns.
Can we make general predictions about situations where evolutionary responses are most likely to occur and to mitigate or aggravate the demographic response of species to global change?
Can we identify target species or groups of species for which incorporating evolutionary responses in ecological forecasts is most needed?
Recent scientific advances in the field of evolutionary ecology now allow us to tackle these questions with new tools. Sophisticated methods of quantitative genetics and demographic analyses allow much better inferences about patterns of evolution and their dynamic consequences in natural populations. Ecological and evolutionary processes are increasingly integrated in theoretical models.  Experimental evolutionapproaches using short-lived organisms offer a powerful tool to validate such model predictions. Mechanistic models of species distribution allow linking genetic variation for specific traits to range contraction or expansion. Finally, improvement in methods of phylogenetic reconstruction and the development of new statistical tools for comparative analysis allow addressing questions about niche evolution in many taxa and regions of the world.
We wish the conference to reflect these advances, by combining a variety of approaches, including different types of modelling, experimental evolution, comparative analyses and data collection in natural populations.

A special issue of  The Philosophical Transactions B  was published after this conference. 

Organisators :

Ophélie Ronce (ISEM, France),Nicolas Mouquet(ISEM, France), Andrew Gonzalez (McGill University, Canada)

Program :

9H- Introduction

Topic one: A race between decline and evolution

9h05- Richard Gomulkiewicz (Washington State University, USA)
9h40- Graham Bell (McGill University, Canada)
10h15- Guillaume Martin (ISEM, France)
10h50- Break
11h20- Anne Charmantier & Olivier Gimenez (CEFE, France)

Topic two: Migration, plasticity and adaptation

11h55- Mark Kirkpatrick (University of Texas, USA)
12h30- Break
14h- Andrew Gonzalez (McGill University, Canada)
14h35- Frank Schurr (Potsdam University, Germany) & Katja Schiffers (LECA France)

Topic three: Evolving communities in changing environments

15h10- Robert Holt (University of Florida, USA)
15h45- Break
16h15- Régis Ferrière (ENS, France)
16h50- Gregor Fussmann (McGill University, Canada)

Topic four : From microvelolutionary to macroevolutionary patterns and back

17h25- Sébastien Lavergne (LECA, France) & Margaret Evans (MNHN, France)