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Published on: January 19, 2018
Interactive effects of temporal correlations, spatial heterogeneity and dispersal on population persistence
1Department of Evolution and Ecology, Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. sschreiber@ucdavis.edu
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|February 19, 2010
Summary
Population persistence relies on growth rate. This study reveals how temporal correlations, spatial heterogeneity, and dispersal influence population growth, offering insights for ecological persistence strategies.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Population Dynamics
- Mathematical Biology
Background:
- Population persistence is fundamentally linked to a population's growth rate when rare.
- Understanding factors influencing this growth rate is crucial for ecological and conservation efforts.
- Temporal correlations, spatial heterogeneity, and dispersal are key factors affecting population dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To derive an analytic approximation for the growth rate of partially mixing populations.
- To investigate the interplay between temporal correlations, spatial heterogeneity, and dispersal on population persistence.
- To provide a theoretical framework for predicting population persistence under various environmental conditions.
Main Methods:
- Developed an analytic approximation for the growth rate of partially mixing populations.
- Analyzed the effects of partial mixing on population growth, considering temporal correlations and spatial heterogeneity.
- Utilized mathematical modeling to explore the conditions under which metapopulations can persist.
Main Results:
- Partial mixing can increase population growth rates when dispersal is directed towards patches with higher average fitness.
- Lower dispersal rates enhance population growth when temporal autocorrelations within patches are strong relative to between-patch correlations.
- Metapopulations with average fitness less than 1 can persist under specific conditions of positive temporal autocorrelations, weak spatial correlations, and intermediate dispersal rates.
- Movement into lower quality habitats can increase population growth under certain conditions of temporal variation and mean fitness differences.
- Temporal autocorrelations, both positive and negative, can enhance population growth with optimal dispersal strategies.
Conclusions:
- Population persistence is highly sensitive to the complex interactions between dispersal, spatial heterogeneity, and temporal variation in fitness.
- The derived approximation provides valuable insights into the conditions favoring metapopulation persistence.
- Optimal dispersal strategies are crucial for maximizing population growth and persistence in variable environments.
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