Biological dispersal

Biological dispersal is the movement of organisms or their propagules away from their birthplace, parent, or source population. It connects local life cycles to population spread, gene flow, and range change.

Active dispersal: Movement in which an organism supplies the energy for its own displacement. Animals and motile microbes can leave their source by moving under their own power.
Propagule: A biological unit capable of developing into a new organism, such as a seed, spore, or larva. Dispersal often moves propagules rather than fully developed organisms.
Metapopulation: A set of spatially separated populations linked by occasional dispersal. Movement between habitat patches can sustain this network despite local extinctions.
Long-distance dispersal: Movement of organisms or propagules far beyond the typical distances of their dispersal system. Rare long journeys can drive range shifts while escaping routine observation.
Seed dispersal: The movement of seeds away from the plants that produced them. Plant recruitment depends on where seeds travel and whether they reach suitable sites.
Passive dispersal: Movement in which an organism or propagule is transported by external forces or carriers. Many seeds, spores, and small animals travel without controlling their route.
Natal dispersal: Movement from an individual's birthplace to the place where it first reproduces. It is a life-history form of dispersal defined by departure from the birthplace.
Range expansion: An increase in the geographic area occupied by a species or population. Repeated dispersal and establishment at a range margin can extend occupancy.
Landscape connectivity: The degree to which landscape structure permits organisms to move among habitat areas. Habitat arrangement and barriers shape which dispersal routes remain possible.
Larval dispersal: The movement of animal larvae away from their spawning or birthplace locations before settlement. Larval transport links reproductive sites to habitats where juveniles settle.

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