Assumptions of metapopulations

Outline

Basic metapopulation assumptions

Factors that affects local population dynamics
Model assumptions
advantages and disadvantages
Basic Metapopulation Assumptions

Space is discrete, and it is possible to distinguish between the matrix and habitat
patches
Habitat patch units are large and permanent enough to allow for persistence of
local populations for at least a few generations
 More basic assumptions

Habitat patches are of equal size and are equally isolated

Migration has no real effect on dynamics
2 ways to think of migration
 Density Dependence

Per capita growth rate depends on past

and/or present population densities
not all populations are strongly
affected all the time

Morris and Doak, 2002

 Extinction

Risk of extinction increases with decreasing population size

Allee Effect-Reduced per capita growth rate at low population density
Habitat fragmentation- reduces patch area
can be easily modeled
 Migration

Need a sufficiently high rate of migration for metapopulations to persist as a

result of recolonizations
If migration rate is too high, may accelerate metapopulation extinction
Rescue Effect/Propagule Rain
 Colonization

Habitat Fragmentation- reduces level of patch connectivity

can be easily modeled
 Spatially Implicit (Levins) Model

Assume:
infinite, discrete habitat patches with no variation
stochastic, asynchronous local dynamics
local dynamics be ignored
all patches are equally connected via migration Hanski and Gilpin 1997

patches are empty or occupied

 Levins Model

dP/dt= cP(1-P)-eP
Equilibrium when Phat= 1-e/c

Highlights that recolonization must occur at at a high enough rate

to compensate for extinctions
Advantages and Disadvantages of the
basic Levins model

+ Easy mathematically and conceptually

- Can only answer a limited number of questions because it ignores so many

variables (generally can only be used for metapopulations close to a steady state)
 Spatially Explicit Models
Assume:
many patches (arranged as cells in a lattice)
patches may be occupied or empty
no variation in patch size and quality
migration is distance dependent Hanski, 1999 Fig. 5.3A
 Spatially Explicit Model

Probability that a cell will become occupied= γ(y-x)

Where gamma is the rate of emigration and y-x is the distance between x and y
 Advantages and Disadvantages

+ Local behavior is same from patch to patch, so dynamics can be easily

modeled.

- Can not simply describe the state of the metapopulation by the fraction of
patches occupied (need to use a vector- much more complicated)
 Spatially Realistic Model
finite number of relatively small patches in
comparison with the total landscape
randomly scattered patches
assume real patch attributes (area, location, etc)
patch area and isolation affect extinction and
recolonization
occupied patches inflict colonization pressure on
all empty patches
declines with distance

Hanski, 1999 Fig. 5.3

 Spatially Realistic Model

dpi/dt= Ci(t)[1-pi]-eipi
(dpi/dt= rate of change in patch i)
pi= probability that patch i is occupied

Ci(t)= colonization rate in patch i, taking connectivity between all patches into account

ei= extinction rate in patch i , which is a function of the area of patch i

 Advantages and Disadvantages

+ More realistic; can make quantitative predictions about dynamics

- More complicated; A lot of data has to be assumed; Starts to move away from
the metapopulation concept
 Works cited
Driscoll, D. 2007. How to find a metapopulation. Can. J. Zool., 85: 1031-1048.

Hanski, I. 1999. Metapopulation ecology. New York: Oxford University Press.

Hanski, I and Gaggiotti, O (Eds.). 2004. Ecology, genetics, and evolution of metapopulations. New York:
Elsevier Academic Press.

Hanski, I and Gilpin, M (Eds.). 1997. Metapopulation biology: Ecology, genetics, and evolution. New York:
Academic Press.

Hanski, I and Gilpin, M, 1991. Metapopulation dynamics: brief history and conceptual domain. Biological
Journal of the Linnean Society, 42: 3-16.

Morris, W and Doak, D. 2002. Quantitative Conservation Biology. Sunderland: Sinauer Associates, Inc.

Nie, L and Mei, D. 2007. Fluctuation-enhanced stability of a metapopulation. Physics Letters A, 371: 111-117.