Metapopulation dynamics in a complex ecological landscape

TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive model for metapopulation dynamics that accounts for spatial dispersal, environmental fluctuations, and patch configurations, revealing how positive feedback mechanisms can promote population survival.

Contribution

It develops a novel framework combining Levy dust patch generation with dispersal and migration models to analyze long-term population viability in complex landscapes.

Findings

Positive feedback between environmental fluctuations and spatial spread enhances survival.

Patch distribution and coupling mechanisms are critical for population persistence.

Long-term population size depends on habitat configuration and environmental variability.

Abstract

We propose a general model to study the interplay between spatial dispersal and environment spatiotemporal fluctuations in metapopulation dynamics. An ecological landscape of favorable patches is generated like a L\'{e}vy dust, which allows to build a range of patterns, from dispersed to clustered ones. Locally, the dynamics is driven by a canonical model for the evolution of the population density, consisting of a logistic expression plus multiplicative noises. Spatial coupling is introduced by means of two spreading mechanisms: diffusive dispersion and selective migration driven by patch suitability. We focus on the long-time population size as a function of habitat configurations, environment fluctuations and coupling schemes. We obtain the conditions, that the spatial distribution of favorable patches and the coupling mechanisms must fulfill, to grant population survival. The fundamental phenomenon that we observe is the positive feedback between environment fluctuations and spatial spread preventing extinction.