The effect of patch constellation on the exchange of individuals between habitat-islands

Metapopulation models assume that inter-patch dispersal dominantly depends on distance between patches and the dispersal capability of organisms in question. We used a spatially explicit, individual-based model to investigate the potential effect of patch constellation on the exchange of individuals between patches. We simulated migration of individuals from a start- into a target-patch with both patches having the same size and shape. Simulation experiments were carried out for four patch constellations and two different movement patterns. Our results demonstrate a substantial effect of patch constellation on the exchange of individuals. They also show that the magnitude and even the direction of this effect crucially depends on their movement pattern. We conclude that particularly for highly correlated movement patterns patch shape and constellation can not readily be ignored when modelling inter-patch dispersal between habitat-islands.