A1 Journal article (refereed)
Landscape fragmentation overturns classical metapopulation thinking (2024)

Tao, Y., Hastings, A., Lafferty, K. D., Hanski, I., & Ovaskainen, O. (2024). Landscape fragmentation overturns classical metapopulation thinking. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 121(20), Article e2303846121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2303846121

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Tao, Yun; Hastings, Alan; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Hanski, Ilkka; Ovaskainen, Otso

Journal or series: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

ISSN: 0027-8424

eISSN: 1091-6490

Publication year: 2024

Publication date: 06/05/2024

Volume: 121

Issue number: 20

Article number: e2303846121

Publisher: National Academy of Sciences

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2303846121

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Abstract

Habitat loss and isolation caused by landscape fragmentation represent a growing threat to global biodiversity. Existing theory suggests that the process will lead to a decline in metapopulation viability. However, since most metapopulation models are restricted to simple networks of discrete habitat patches, the effects of real landscape fragmentation, particularly in stochastic environments, are not well understood. To close this major gap in ecological theory, we developed a spatially explicit, individual- based model applicable to realistic landscape structures, bridging metapopulation ecology and landscape ecology. This model reproduced classical metapopulation dynamics under conventional model assumptions, but on fragmented landscapes, it uncovered general dynamics that are in stark contradiction to the prevailing views in the ecological and conservation literature. Notably, fragmentation can give rise to a series of dualities: a) positive and negative responses to environmental noise, b) relative slowdown and acceleration in density decline, and c) synchronization and desynchronization of local population dynamics. Furthermore, counter to common intuition, species that interact locally (“residents”) were often more resilient to fragmentation than long- ranging “migrants.” This set of findings signals a need to fundamentally reconsider our approach to ecosystem management in a noisy and fragmented world.

Keywords: fragmentation; metapopulations; population dynamics; population dynamics; landscape ecology

Free keywords: metapopulation; fragmentation; population dynamics; landscape ecology

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Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2024

Preliminary JUFO rating: 3