Density dependence in demography and dispersal generates fluctuating invasion speeds.

ABSTRACT: Density dependence plays an important role in population regulation and is known to generate temporal fluctuations in population density. However, the ways in which density dependence affects spatial population processes, such as species invasions, are less understood. Although classical ecological theory suggests that invasions should advance at a constant speed, empirical work is illuminating the highly variable nature of biological invasions, which often exhibit nonconstant spreading speeds, even in simple, controlled settings. Here, we explore endogenous density dependence as a mechanism for inducing variability in biological invasions with a set of population models that incorporate density dependence in demographic and dispersal parameters. We show that density dependence in demograp

SUBMITTER: Sullivan LL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5441710 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature