Metapopulation

A metapopulation is a set of spatially separated populations linked by occasional dispersal. Local populations may disappear and be recolonized while the larger system persists.

Local extinction: The disappearance of a population from a particular habitat patch. Patch populations can vanish without ending the larger metapopulation.
Habitat patch: A discrete area of suitable habitat surrounded by less suitable or unsuitable surroundings. Metapopulation models treat these patches as potential sites for local populations.
Conservation biology: The scientific study of protecting biodiversity and managing threats to species and ecosystems. Metapopulation theory helps frame conservation across separated habitats.
Single large or several small: A conservation debate over whether one large reserve or several smaller reserves better protect biodiversity. It exposes the trade-offs between patch size, isolation, and network-wide persistence.
Recolonization: The establishment of a population in a place where it was previously absent. Dispersal can restore patches after local extinction.
Population: A group of organisms of the same species living in a defined area and reproducing with one another. Each local population is one component of the larger system.
Wildlife corridor: A strip or route of habitat that facilitates movement between otherwise separated habitat areas. Corridors can increase dispersal and reconnect local populations.
Source-sink dynamics: A pattern in which productive populations supply emigrants to populations where deaths exceed births. Unlike equal-patch metapopulation models, it centers differences in habitat quality.
Dispersal: The movement of organisms away from their birthplace or current population. Movement among habitat patches connects otherwise separate populations.
Habitat fragmentation: The breaking of continuous habitat into smaller, separated areas. Fragmentation creates the spatial separation that makes patch connections consequential.

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