The metapopulation concept, while simplistic, was a powerful conceptual advance in population ecology. Metapopulation dynamics means that local persistence can emerge as a consequence of regional interactions — which fundamentally changes the way we have to think about measuring and managing ecological systems.

1. • A species may be able to persist regionally, even though local conditions and resources do not support all populations
   • Levins codified this idea in the concept of a metapopulation — a population of populations
   • Balance between migration (i.e. dispersal) and extinction rate determines the patch occupancy of metapopulation
   • Real dispersal is more structured than Levins’ assumptions, but generic predictions can be used to interpret field observation

Practical applications of the metapopulation concept have been used in the design of reserves for conservation — codified in the SLOSS, or Single Large Or Several Small debate — and the control of infectious diseases.

Marine Metapopulations

Metapopulation dynamics of infectious disease