A population experiencing habitat loss can avoid extinction by undergoing genetic adaptation—a process known as evolutionary rescue. Here we analytically approximate the probability of evolutionary rescue via a niche-constructing mutation that allows carriers to convert a novel, unfavorable reproductive habitat to a favorable state at a cost to their fecundity. We analyze competition between mutants and non-niche-constructing wild types, who ultimately require the constructed habitats to reproduce. We find that over-exploitation of the constructed habitats by wild types can generate damped oscillations in population size shortly after mutant invasion, thereby decreasing the probability of rescue. Such post-invasion extinction is less probable when construction is infrequent, habitat loss is common, the reproductive environment is large, or the population’s carrying capacity is small. Under these conditions, wild types are less likely to encounter the constructed habitats and, consequently, mutants are more likely to fix. These results suggest that, without a mechanism that deters wild type inheritance of the constructed habitats, a population undergoing rescue via niche construction may remain prone to short-timescale extinction despite successful mutant invasion.

经历栖息地丧失的种群可以通过基因适应来避免灭绝，这一过程被称为进化救援。在这里，我们分析地估计了通过利基构建突变进行进化拯救的概率，该突变允许携带者将一种新的、不利的繁殖栖息地转变为有利的状态，但代价是其繁殖力。我们分析了突变体和非生态位构建野生型之间的竞争，这些野生型最终需要构建的栖息地来繁殖。我们发现，野生类型对构建的栖息地的过度开发会在突变体入侵后不久产生种群规模的阻尼振荡，从而降低获救的可能性。当建设不频繁、栖息地丧失普遍、繁殖环境较大或种群承载能力较小时，这种入侵后灭绝的可能性较小。在这些条件下，野生类型不太可能遇到人工栖息地，因此突变体更有可能修复。这些结果表明，如果没有阻止所构建栖息地的野生型遗传的机制，尽管突变体入侵成功，但通过生态位构建进行拯救的种群可能仍然容易遭受短期灭绝。