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Consistent scaling of persistence time in metapopulations
Gur Yaari1, Yossi Ben-Zion, Nadav M Shnerb
1Department of Pathology Informatics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA. gur.yaari@yale.edu
Metapopulation persistence is maximized at intermediate dispersal rates. System size and topology influence persistence, with more patches generally increasing survival, especially at lower dispersal rates, crucial for conserving fragmented populations.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Population Dynamics
- Conservation Biology
Background:
- Metapopulation and metacommunity theory suggest intermediate dispersal maximizes long-term persistence.
- High dispersal leads to region-wide synchrony and extinction, while low dispersal increases local extinctions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how metapopulation size and topology affect the relationship between dispersal rate and regional persistence time.
- To understand the impact of demographic stochasticity on metapopulation persistence.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a suite of mathematical models to simulate metapopulation dynamics.
- Examined the effects of varying dispersal rates, patch numbers, and network topology.
- Incorporated demographic stochasticity in local populations.
Main Results:
- The relationship between regional persistence time and patch number was consistent across models but varied with dispersal rates.
- Persistence increased logarithmically with patch number at low dispersal and exponentially at intermediate dispersal.
- At high dispersal rates, persistence depended on local population dynamics, influenced by recolonization and synchrony.
Conclusions:
- Metapopulation size and topology significantly modulate extinction risk.
- Understanding these factors is critical for effective conservation of fragmented populations.
- Dispersal rate, patch number, and topology interact to determine regional persistence.
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