Effect of Habitat Fragmentation on Cyclic Population Dynamics: A Numerical Study

• Published in: Bulletin of mathematical biology Vol. 71; no. 6; pp. 1323 - 1348
• Main Authors: Strohm, S, Tyson, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York New York : Springer-Verlag 01.08.2009; Springer-Verlag; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Algorithms; Animals; Animals, Wild - physiology; Canada; Cell Biology; Computer Simulation; Conservation of Natural Resources; Ecosystem; Environment; Hares - physiology; Life Sciences; Lynx - physiology; Lynx canadensis; Mathematical and Computational Biology; Mathematics; Mathematics and Statistics; Models, Biological; Original Article; Population Density; Population Dynamics; Predatory Behavior - physiology; Canada; Population cycles; Spatial ecology; Canada lynx and snowshoe hare; Habitat loss; Habitat separation; Population dynamics; Mathematical model; Partial differential equation; Fragmentation
• ISSN: 0092-8240; 1522-9602; 1522-9602
• DOI: 10.1007/s11538-009-9403-0

Through four spatially explicit models, we investigate how habitat fragmentation affects cyclic predator-prey population dynamics. We use a Partial Differential Equation (PDE) framework to describe the dispersal of predators and prey in a heterogeneous landscape made of high quality and low quality habitat patches, subject to increasing fragmentation through habitat separation and/or habitat loss. Our results show that habitat fragmentation decreases the amplitude of the predator-prey population cycles while average population density is not as strongly affected in general. Beyond these simple trends however, the four models show differing responses to fragmentation, indicating that when making predictions about population survival and persistence in the face of habitat fragmentation, the choice of model is important. Our results may inform conservation efforts in fragmented habitats for cyclic species such as the snowshoe hare and Canada lynx.