Ghosts of habitats past: environmental carry-over effects drive population dynamics in novel habitat

The phenotype of adults can be strongly influenced by the environmental conditions experienced during development. Consequently, variation in habitat quality across space and through time also leads to differences in the phenotypes of adults. This could create carry-over effects where differences in the natal habitat quality of colonizers influence population dynamics in new habitats. We tested this hypothesis experimentally by simulating dispersal of Tribolium castaneum from low or high quality natal habitat into new patches of low or high quality habitat. Differences in natal habitat quality of colonizers altered population growth trajectories and led to carrying capacities that differed by up to 85% within a habitat type, indicating that patch dynamics are determined by the interaction of past and current habitat quality. Interestingly, even after multiple generations, natal habitat of colonizers determined differences in adult traits that were related to density-dependent population...