Spatial spread of a population

Abstract

After age structure, considered in Sect. 2.5 of Chap. 2, another source of heterogeneity in a population is the fact that individuals are located at different positions in the geographical region occupied by the population. Thus the description of the spatial structure of the population may become important if the habitat is not spatially homogeneous. From the viewpoint of the mechanisms regulating the growth of a population in a spatially structured habitat, we need to model the vital rates as depending on the location and, more essentially, the mechanism regulating the movement of individuals.