Articles tagged with Metapopulations
Researchers discovered a large population of critically endangered Plains-wanderers in South Australia's arid interior, defying their previously believed habitat preference. The birds were found to select low-growing shrublands with specific composition over dense native grasslands.
A global research team tracked over 100 species of marine animals, revealing key migration patterns and hotspots critical for conservation. The study, MegaMove, uses satellite data to inform a new blueprint for ocean conservation, highlighting the need for targeted mitigation efforts.
Environmental heterogeneity consistently increases pathogen virulence and infectivity. Modest variations in local conditions can lead to up to 40% higher evolved virulence compared to homogeneous metapopulations.
Current measures to protect grasslands in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are damaging the ecosystem and should be stopped. Small burrowing mammals, like the plateau pika and zokor, play crucial ecological roles in maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity.
Human activity on Hainan Island is causing changes in the body shapes and diets of tropical birds, resulting in biotic homogenisation. Despite efforts to protect biodiversity, the island's unique ecosystem is being affected by large-scale economic and land-use changes.
A single butterfly species introduced to an island in the 1990s had a significant impact on several insect populations, leading to genetic decline and high extinction risk for some species. The parasitoid wasp's mobility and symbiotic bacterial relationships played key roles in shaping this outcome.
A team of researchers used a simulation to project the genetic and demographic outcomes of bull trout reintroduction in Washington State, focusing on connectivity and habitat availability. The study found that sufficient gene flow and unoccupied patches are key to maintaining genetic variation and persistence.
Researchers have linked the ecology of adult fish populations inhabiting coral reefs with the dispersal of baby fish between reefs, revealing a complex network called a marine metapopulation. The study found that successful larval dispersal was crucial for replenishing key reefs.
A recent study published in PLOS ONE found that the occurrence probability of three lemur species increases with forest fragment size, while its impact on isolation varies depending on the species. The researchers suggest that maintaining habitat area may be crucial to maintaining populations in a fragmented landscape.
Researchers developed a new model that considers colonization and extinction rates at both breeding and non-breeding sites for migratory species. This approach can help conservators better understand the population dynamics of species like piping plovers.
Professor Ilkka Hanski is awarded the European Latsis Prize for his pioneering work in metapopulation biology, shedding light on mechanisms maintaining biodiversity and informing conservation. His research on the Glanville fritillary butterfly has become a model system to study general questions.
A study found that individual song complexity is associated with the overall population's viability, particularly in smaller, fragmented populations. Birds from more productive populations sang more complex songs, indicating higher mating success and population health.
Local interventions, such as adding fruitflies to a population, do not affect the dynamics and stability of the fruitfly metapopulation. Computer simulations confirm that constant local perturbations have no detectable effect on metapopulation stability across various ecological scenarios.