Intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of source-sink dynamics.

ABSTRACT: Many factors affect the presence and exchange of individuals among subpopulations and influence not only the emergence, but the strength of ensuing source-sink dynamics within metapopulations. Yet their relative contributions remain largely unexplored. To help identify the characteristics of empirical systems that are likely to exhibit strong versus weak source-sink dynamics and inform their differential management, we compared the relative roles of influential factors in strengthening source-sink dynamics. In a series of controlled experiments within a spatially explicit individual-based model framework, we varied patch quality, patch size, the dispersion of high- and low-quality patches, population growth rates, dispersal distances, and environmental stochasticity in a factorial design.

SUBMITTER: Heinrichs JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4761763 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature