Abstract
Evolutionary rescue is the process by which a declining population successfully adapts genetically to avoid extinction. In a subdivided population composed of different patches that one after the other deteriorate, dispersal can significantly alter the chances of evolutionary rescue of a wild type population not viable in deteriorated patches. Here, we investigate the effect of different dispersal schemes and intensities on the probability of successful establishment of a mutant population, adapted to the deteriorated environment. As a general pattern we find that the probability of evolutionary rescue can undergo up to three phases when varying the rate of dispersal: increasing the dispersal rate (i) at low dispersal rates the probability of establishment of a mutant population increases; (ii) for intermediate dispersal rates the establishment probability decreases; and (iii) at large dispersal rates the population homogenizes, either promoting or sup-pressing the process of evolutionary rescue, dependent on the fitness difference between the mutant and the wild-type. Our results show that habitat choice, when compared to uniform dispersal, impedes successful adaptation when the mutant has the same habitat preference as the wild type, but promotes adaptation when the mutant mainly immigrates into patches where it has a growth advantage over the wild type.