title: How robust is dispersal-induced spatial synchrony?
abstract: Many biological populations fluctuate in synchrony over large geographic regions. This behavior may increase the chance of extinction. The combination of time-scale separation between interacting species and weak spatial linear diffusive coupling is one mechanism that can generate synchrony; however, accounting for travel time between habitat patches may destabilize this synchrony. Here, we show that ubiquitous behavioral aspects of dispersal (e.g., predator avoidance), implemented as nonlinear diffusive coupling, may also destabilize synchrony. In addition, these aspects interact with travel-time delays and amplify mechanisms that destroy synchrony. Our work suggests that dispersal-induced synchrony is more rare than typically assumed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Yuxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Frithjof
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lutscher
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guichard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017753:Ecosystem; D025461:Feedback, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis