Variation in space and time: a long-term examination of density-dependent dispersal in a woodland rodent.

Dispersal is a fundamental ecological process that can be affected by population density, yet studies report contrasting effects of density on propensity to disperse. In addition, the relationship between dispersal and density is seldom examined using densities measured at different spatial scales or over extensive time series. We used 51 years of trapping data to examine how dispersal by wild deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) was affected by changes in both local and regional population densities.