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Critical patch size generated by Allee effect in gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.).
E Vercken1, A M Kramer, P C Tobin
1UMR IBSV, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), 400 Route des Chappes, BP 167, 06903 Sophia-Antipolis Cedex, France. elodie.vercken@sophia.inra.fr
Ecology Letters
|December 9, 2010
Summary
Strong Allee effects can cause population collapse below a critical density. This study empirically documents a critical patch size for population persistence in invasive gypsy moths, confirming ecological theory.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Population Dynamics
- Invasive Species Biology
Background:
- Allee effects describe how population growth rate increases with density, crucial for small populations.
- Strong Allee effects predict a critical population density below which persistence is impossible.
- Theory suggests spatially structured populations also have a critical area threshold for persistence, but empirical evidence is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically test the theoretical prediction of a critical area threshold for population persistence in spatially distributed populations.
- To investigate the role of Allee effects on the persistence of invasive populations.
- To provide the first empirical documentation of a critical patch size induced by Allee effects.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of population persistence data for the European gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) invasion front in the United States (1996-2008).
- Statistical examination of the relationship between occupied area, population density, and persistence.
- Development and application of a mechanistic model specific to the gypsy moth system.
Main Results:
- Empirical evidence confirmed that both population area and density significantly affect population persistence.
- The study identified a critical threshold for occupied area, below which populations were unlikely to persist.
- Results align with theoretical predictions regarding Allee effects in spatially structured populations.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first empirical evidence for a critical patch size, a key prediction of Allee effect theory in spatially structured populations.
- The findings highlight the importance of considering both density and area in managing invasive species like the gypsy moth.
- The research validates theoretical models and offers insights into population persistence mechanisms.
