title: A metapopulation model with Markovian landscape dynamics.
abstract: We study a variant of Hanski's incidence function model that allows habitat patch characteristics to vary over time following a Markov process. The widely studied case where patches are classified as either suitable or unsuitable is included as a special case. For large metapopulations, we determine a recursion for the probability that a given habitat patch is occupied. This recursion enables us to clarify the role of landscape dynamics in the survival of a metapopulation. In particular, we show that landscape dynamics affects the persistence and equilibrium level of the metapopulation primarily through its effect on the distribution of a local population's life span.
authors: School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: r.mcvinish@uq.edu.au.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: McVinish
authors: School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, Australia.
authors: P K
authors: PK
authors: Pollett
authors: School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, Australia.
authors: Y S
authors: YS
authors: Chan
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D008390:Markov Chains; D008954:Models, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics
keywords: Dynamic landscape; Equilibrium; Incidence function model; Markov dual process; Persistence