From temporal variability to spatial viability: New insights into the role of dispersal in regulating the dynamics and persistence of metapopulations

From temporal variability to spatial viability: New insights into the role of dispersal in regulating the dynamics and persistence of metapopulations | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 7 November 2025 V1 Latest version Share on From temporal variability to spatial viability: New insights into the role of dispersal in regulating the dynamics and persistence of metapopulations Authors : Gabriel Khattar 0000-0002-1703-4210 [email protected] , Paul Savary 0000-0002-2104-9941 , Shaopeng Wang 0000-0002-9430-8879 , and Pedro Peres-Neto Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176253908.85986666/v1 275 views 162 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract We present a conceptual framework positioning dispersal, a multivariate behavioral syndrome defined by emigration propensity, displacement capacity, and habitat selection, as a central life-history trait governing and linking the temporal variability and spatial viability of metapopulations. Using mechanistic simulations, we show that under weak habitat selection, greater dispersal reduces local variability, increases synchrony, and expands minimum viable range size (MVRS). Conversely, under strong habitat selection, dispersal increases variability, reduces synchrony, and decreases MVRS. To test predictions in a conservation context, we analyzed spatiotemporal data from 313 moth species exposed to varying levels of light pollution, an anthropogenic stressor known to disrupt habitat selection. Under light-polluted skies, increased dispersal reduced local variability and increased synchrony and MVRS, while in darker skies it produced the opposite pattern. These findings provide both theoretical and empirical evidence that temporal dynamics and spatial requirements of metapopulations are mechanistically coupled through their shared dependence on dispersal. Supplementary Material File (manuscript ready.docx) Download 3.85 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 07 November 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords habitat selection informed dispersal lepidoptera light pollution minimum viable range size population variability regional synchrony simulation models Authors Affiliations Gabriel Khattar 0000-0002-1703-4210 [email protected] Concordia University Department of Biology View all articles by this author Paul Savary 0000-0002-2104-9941 Université Marie et Louis Pasteur CNRS View all articles by this author Shaopeng Wang 0000-0002-9430-8879 Peking University College of Urban and Environmental Sciences View all articles by this author Pedro Peres-Neto Concordia University Department of Biology View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 275 views 162 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Gabriel Khattar, Paul Savary, Shaopeng Wang, et al. From temporal variability to spatial viability: New insights into the role of dispersal in regulating the dynamics and persistence of metapopulations. 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