Conspecific Attraction and the Determination of Metapopulation Colonization Rates

摘要: Natural habitats, hence animal populations, are becoming increasingly fragmented and vulnerable as the result of human activities. The metapopulation concept (Levins 1970; Gilpin 1987; Harrison et al. 1988), which is applied to interdependent patches occupied unoccupied habitat, can be used describe dynamics these populations. ultimate goal understand systems well enough predict their behavior manage for persistence (Gilpin 1987). One most important aspects flow individuals between 1987), yet dispersal subsequent colonization have generally been assumed stochastic processes. Here we propose that actions dispersers may profoundly influenced by presence conspecifics on neighboring patches, leading a process much more deterministic than was previously believed. We advance idea taking nonrandom patterns into account enhance management systems. metapopulations function extinction rate individual probability A rich literature has outlined factors influence balance coloniza-