Optimal dispersal in ecological dynamics with Allee effect in metapopulations

Marcelo A Pires; Sílvio M Duarte Queirós

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0218087

Optimal dispersal in ecological dynamics with Allee effect in metapopulations

PLoS One. 2019 Jun 20;14(6):e0218087. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218087. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Marcelo A Pires¹, Sílvio M Duarte Queirós^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil.
² National Institute of Science and Technology for Complex Systems, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil.

Abstract

We introduce a minimal agent-based model to understand the effects of the interplay between dispersal and geometric constraints in metapopulation dynamics under the Allee Effect. The model, which does not impose nonlinear birth and death rates, is studied both analytically and numerically. Our results indicate the existence of a survival-extinction boundary with monotonic behavior for weak spatial constraints and a nonmonotonic behavior for strong spatial constraints so that there is an optimal dispersal that maximizes the survival probability. Such optimal dispersal has empirical support from recent experiments with engineered bacteria.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Ecology*
Models, Theoretical
Population Dynamics*
Probability

Grants and funding

This research is supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (phd fellowship) to MAP, and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (306477/2016-5) to SMDQ. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.