Conclusion
The manuscripts in this special issue cover both a wide conceptual range
and a broad group of organisms. The common thread between studies is
that they each investigate applied systems to broaden our understanding
of either the ecological or genetic factors that influence adaptation.
While many researchers are likely drawn to the study of pesticide
resistance evolution for its perceived simplicity—e.g, there is
a known agent of selection as well as (typically) a known biochemical
and often simple genetic target of the pesticide—contributions in this
special issue show that both the genetic and ecological context of
resistance evolution remains to be deepened in important ways. For
example, the population genomic approaches used in these papers provide
increased resolution into the number and interactions of alleles
involved in resistance, timescale-dependent signatures of selection,
heterogeneity among populations in the control of resistance, and gene
expression differences associated with both resistance and the mating
system. Additionally, the work in this special issue also highlights
that resistance evolution does not occur in a vacuum; while many
examinations of resistance focus on the evolutionary trajectory of a
single species exposed to pesticide, the overall adaptation and
persistence of a population will concomitantly be influenced by, and
likewise influence, other community members such as pollinators,
herbivores and the microbial community. Ultimately, deepening the
context of resistance evolution by both broadening our genetic toolkits
and by assessing community dynamics will allow us to better understand
how genetics and ecology are linked and how such linkages can then
influence larger-scale ecosystem dynamics.