Received: 8 October 2016 | Accepted: 7 September 2017 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12759 ALLEE EFFECTS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION : REVIEW Allee effects in social species Elena Angulo1† | Gloria M. Luque2† | Stephen D. Gregory3 | John W. Wenzel4 | Carmen Bessa-Gomes2 | Ludek Berec5 | Franck Courchamp2 1Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain Abstract 2Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Univ. 1. Allee effects have important implications for many aspects of basic and applied Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, Université ecology. The benefits of aggregation of conspecific individuals are central to Allee Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France effects, which have led to the widely held assumption that social species are more 3Salmon and Trout Research Centre, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, East Stoke, prone to Allee effects. Robust evidence for this assumption, however, remains rare. UK Furthermore, previous research on Allee effects has failed to adequately address 4Powdermill Nature Reserve, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Rector, PA, USA the consequences of the different levels of organisation within social species’ 5Department of Ecology, Institute of populations. Entomology, Biology Centre CAS, České 2. Here, we review available evidence of Allee effects and model the role of demo- Budějovice, Czech Republic graphic and behavioural factors that may combine to dampen or strengthen Allee Correspondence effects in social species. We use examples across various species with contrasting Franck Courchamp Email:
[email protected] social structure, including carnivores, bats, primates and eusocial insects. Building on this, we provide a conceptual framework that allows for the integration of Funding information Grantová Agentura České Republiky, Grant/ different Allee effects in social species.