Ecology · 1989 · 156 citations · 0 references
Life SciencesBiologyEcologyMetapopulation DynamicsMetapopulation EcologyPopulation EcologyExtinction DynamicsMetapopulation StructurePatch ExtinctionPopulation DynamicsEquilibriumEquilibrium Population DistributionExtinctionLocal Extinction RatesMetapopulation ModelsMetapopulation StabilityPopulation SizeSpatial Structure
The model applies to mutualist systems such as plant‑pollinator interactions, focusing on plant dynamics. The study formulates a single‑species metapopulation model to analyze dynamics across distinct patches. The model assumes extinction rates decrease with population size and that disasters cause local extinction, allowing calculation of the equilibrium distribution of patch populations. The equilibrium is always stable, and the patch model predicts a stable equilibrium even when spatial structure is included, unlike obligate mutualism models.
We formulate a single—species model to study the dynamics of a metapopulation that is composed of several subpopulations spread among distinct patches. In the case where extinction rates within a patch are a decreasing function of population size, and all disasters lead to extinction of the local population, we determine the equilibrium distribution of numbers within patches. We show that any equilibrium is stable. This model is also applicable to some systems of mutualists, such as some plant—pollinator systems, where the focus is on the dynamics of the plant species. Unlike models for obligate mutualism that do not incorporate spatial structure, our patch model always has a stable equilibrium.