local adaptation

Leimu R & Fischer M 2008 A meta-analysis of local adaptation in plants. PLoS ONE 3:e4010.

• we found local adaptation much more common for large plant populations (>1000 flowering individuals) than for small populations (<1000 flowering individuals) for which local adaptation was very rare

• the much lower likelihood of local adaptation in small populations reinforces the fundamental interest of population size for evolutionary theory
• the clear role of population size for the evolution of local adaptation raises considerable doubt on the ability of small plant populations to cope with changing environments