Metapopulation Dynamics with Migration and Local Competition

Many patch-based metapopulation models assume that the local population within each patch is at its equilibrium and independent of changes in patch occupancy. We study a metapoulation model which explicitly incorporates the local population dynamics of two competing species. Singular perturbation method is used to separate the fast dynamics of the local competition and the slow process of patch colonization and extinction. Our results show that the coupled system leads to much more complex outcomes than simple patch models that do not include explicit local dynamics.