Abstract
We consider a discrete size-structured meta-population model with the proportions of patches occupied by n individuals as dependent variables. Adults are territorial and stay on a certain patch. The juveniles may emigrate to enter a dispersers' pool from which they can settle on another patch and become adults. Absence of colonization and absence of emigration lead to extinction of the metapopula-tion. We define the basic reproduction number R 0 of the metapopulation as a measure for its strength of persistence. The metapopulation is uniformly weakly persistent if R 0 > 1. We identify subcritical bifurcation of persistence equilibria from the extinction equilibrium as a source of multiple persistence equilibria: It occurs, e.g., when the immigration rate, into occupied patches, exceeds the colonization rate (of empty patches). We determine that the persistence-optimal dispersal strategy which maximizes the basic reproduction number is of bang-bang type: If the number of adults on a patch is below carrying capacity all the juveniles should stay, if it is above the carrying capacity all the juveniles should leave.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 379-413 |
Number of pages | 35 |
Journal | Natural Resource Modeling |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2005 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Modeling and Simulation
- Environmental Science (miscellaneous)