Models of metapopulations have focused on the effects of extinction and colonization rate upon metapopulation persistence and dynamics, assuming static landscapes wherein patches are neither created nor go extinct. However, for species living in ephemeral (patchy) habitats, landscapes are highly dynamic rather than static. In this article, we develop a lattice metapopulation model, of the patch occupancy type, based on interacting particle systems that incorporate explicitly both metapopulation and patch dynamics. Under this scenario, we study the effects of different regimes of patch dynamics upon metapopulation persistence. We analyze the lattice behavior by numerical simulations and a mean field approximation (MF). We show that metapopulation persistence and extinction are strongly influenced by the rate at which the landscape changes, in addition to the amount of habitat destroyed. We derive MF analytical expressions for extinction thresholds related to landscape properties such as habitat suitability and patch average lifetime. Using numerical simulations, we also show how these thresholds are quantitatively overestimated by the MF equations, although the qualitative behavior of the spatial model is well explained by the MF when the array of habitat patches is dynamic or static but connected in space and time. The implications for conservation are also discussed.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/303407 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The Metapopulation Bridge to Macroevolutionary Speciation Rates: A Conceptual Framework and Empirical Test.
Ecol Lett
January 2025
Museum of Zoology & Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Whether large-scale variation in lineage diversification rates can be predicted by species properties at the population level is a key unresolved question at the interface between micro- and macroevolution. All else being equal, species with biological attributes that confer metapopulation stability should persist more often at timescales relevant to speciation and so give rise to new (incipient) forms that share these biological traits. Here, we develop a framework for testing the relationship between metapopulation properties related to persistence and phylogenetic speciation rates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvaluating the effectiveness of badger vaccination combined with cattle test-and-removal in managing Bovine Tuberculosis: Insights from a two-host and multi-route transmission model.
Prev Vet Med
November 2024
Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands; Biometris, Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands.
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) has a complex infection ecology and is difficult to control in many countries, including Ireland. For many years, the Irish national bTB eradication programme relied on cattle-based control measures, including test-and-removal with related movement restrictions. In the early 2000s, badger culling was added as a part of the control measure in the national programme.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNatural selection could determine whether corals persist under expected climate change.
Science
December 2024
School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia.
Article Synopsis
- Marine heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change, putting reef-building corals at risk of mass mortality and increased selective pressure.
- A new eco-evolutionary metapopulation model shows that while corals can somewhat adapt, they will face significant population declines from heatwaves over the next few decades.
- To help sensitive coral populations survive beyond 2050, it's crucial to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to 2°C instead of the projected 3°C.
Assessing the spatial scale of synchrony in forest tree population dynamics.
Proc Biol Sci
November 2024
Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00925, USA.
Populations of forest trees exhibit large temporal fluctuations, but little is known about the synchrony of these fluctuations across space, including their sign, magnitude, causes and characteristic scales. These have important implications for metapopulation persistence and theoretical community ecology. Using data from permanent forest plots spanning local, regional and global spatial scales, we measured spatial synchrony in tree population growth rates over sub-decadal and decadal timescales and explored the relationship of synchrony to geographical distance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Humans have significantly altered river networks, leading to changes in habitat quality, migration barriers, and pollution, which affect aquatic life and restoration efforts.
- This study focused on the genetic structure of two pollution-tolerant isopod species in the Emscher catchment in Germany, revealing a strong metapopulation structure with isolated populations and high genetic diversity.
- The findings indicate that while some migration barriers exist, other factors such as adaptation and species interactions also influence genetic structure, highlighting the need for detailed genetic analysis in environmental studies.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!