Nemo-age: Spatially explicit simulations of eco-evolutionary dynamics in stage-structured populations under changing environments

摘要

Anticipating and preparing for the effect of environmental changes on biodiversity requires to understand and predict both the ecological and evolutionary responses of populations. Tools and methods to efficiently integrate these complex processes are lacking. We present the genetically and spatially explicit individual-based simulation softwareNemo-agecombining ecological and evolutionary processes.Nemo-agehas a strong emphasis on modelling complex life histories. We here provide a methodology to predict changes in species distribution for given climate projections usingNemo-age. Modelling complex life histories, spatial distribution and evolutionary processes unravel possible eco-evolutionary mechanisms that have been previously overlooked when populations endure rapid environmental changes. The interface ofNemo-ageis designed to integrate species' data from different fields, from demography to genetic architecture and spatial distributions, thus representing a versatile tool to model a variety of applied and theoretical scenarios.