Population Stability in a Patchy Environment

Abstract To see how habitat patchiness affects the stability of resident populations, a weighted graph-theoretic model has been constructed. The weighted vertices are populations in habitat patches, and the weighted edges are connections between the patches. The model is represented by a transition matrix which operates on a vector of age class abundances of a species in the patches. Changes in population sizes over time are simulated stochastically. The model is applied to populations of Peromyscus leucopus in woodlots in farmland which are interconnected by fencerows. Nature reserve planners can use this type of model to determine spatial arrangements of patches which permit longterm stable populations.