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NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DISPERSAL DISTANCE AND DEMOGRAPHY IN BUTTERFLY METAPOPULATIONS
Author(s) -
Baguette Michel,
Schtickzelle Nicolas
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1890/04-1631
Subject(s) - metapopulation , biological dispersal , butterfly , ecology , biology , geography , demography , population , sociology
Little is known about the connection between demography and dispersal in metapopulations. The meta‐analysis of the population time series of five butterfly species indicated that (meta)population dynamics are driven by density‐dependent factors. Interspecific comparison reveals a significant inverse relationship between population growth rate and the magnitude of dispersal distance. As the range of dispersal distances is constrained by the patch system, dispersing individuals moving too far away would (probably) get lost. This generates selective pressures on individuals with a high dispersal propensity, but favors individuals investing more in reproduction and results in a higher (meta)population growth rate. From a conservation perspective, individuals from (meta)populations and species sacrificing dispersal for the sake of reproductive performances are most vulnerable because of their higher sensitivity to stochastic events: the temporal variation of growth rate was much higher in the two metapopulations where dispersal was limited.