How does the internal structure of a population affect its response to various stresses?
The dynamics of a population are affected fundamentally by its internal structure, including its age, stage, and genetic structure, and its spatial distribution. Classical population dynamic theories have tended to view populations as lumped aggregates of identical units, except for the explicit treatment of genetic structure in evolutionary theory. Yet other aspects of population structure have been shown to be critical in understanding coexistence of species, population fluctuations, the spread of disease, and other critical phenomena. In recent years, attention has turned to developing methods to incorporate demographic and spatial structure into population models, setting the stage for important advances. How does fragmentation of the landscape affect the spread and persistence of populations? Natural and human-induced patterns of disturbance interact with species’ traits and interspecific relationships to affect the patterns of spread, persistence, and abundance of species. Unders
