How does intraspecific density regulation influence metapopulation synchrony and persistence?

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Population Dynamics
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Intraspecific density regulation influences local population dynamics and dispersal.
• Spatial synchrony can jeopardize metapopulation persistence.
• Previous studies suggested a unimodal relationship between spatial synchrony and density regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To scrutinize the unimodal relationship supposition using a process-based metapopulation model.
• To extend the analysis to under-compensatory density regulation.
• To analyze metapopulation persistence under varying density regulation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a process-based metapopulation model with explicit local population dynamics.
• Extended the analysis to include under-compensatory density regulation.
• Investigated the effects of dispersal mortality, landscape dynamics, and density-dependent dispersal.

Main Results:

• Spatial synchrony exhibits a bimodal relationship with density compensation, with peaks in both under- and over-compensatory regulation.
• Metapopulation persistence shows a unimodal relationship, with high persistence across compensatory to over-compensatory regulation.
• High landscape connectivity negatively impacts persistence for over-compensating species but positively for under-compensating species.

Conclusions:

• Metapopulation persistence is jeopardized by spatial synchrony only in conjunction with high local extinction risk.
• The relationship between density compensation, spatial synchrony, and persistence is robust to changes in dispersal and landscape dynamics.
• Species-specific life-history traits are crucial for landscape connectivity management, with dispersal corridors beneficial for under-compensating species but potentially detrimental for over-compensating ones.