Does random dispersion help survival?

TL;DR

This paper models species colony survival using birth and death chains in random environments, demonstrating that random dispersion enhances survival chances.

Contribution

It introduces a novel stochastic model showing that random dispersion is a beneficial strategy for species survival in fluctuating environments.

Findings

Random dispersion improves survival probabilities.

Birth and death chains effectively model colony dynamics.

Dispersal strategy impacts long-term survival.

Abstract

Many species live in colonies that prosper for a while and then collapse. After the collapse the colony survivors disperse randomly and found new colonies that may or may not make it depending on the new environment they find. We use birth and death chains in random environments to model such a population and to argue that random dispersion is a superior strategy for survival.