Biological Invasions and Patchy Landscapes
The spread of alien species into novel territory is a great threat to many existing ecosystems. Can one predict how fast such biological invasions will proceed? In particular, how fast will a new species spread in a strongly heterogeneous landscape where favourable and unfavourable patches are interspersed?
Select References:
F. Lutscher, J. Musgrave (2017) Behavioral responses to resource heterogeneity can accelerate biological invasions. Ecology 98(5): 1229-1238
G.A. Maciel, F. Lutscher (2018) Movement behavior determines competitive outcome and spread rates in strongly heterogeneous landscapes. Theoretical Ecology 11(3): 351-365
G.A. Maciel, F. Lutscher (2013) How individual movement response to habitat edges affects population persistence and spread. American Naturalist 182(1): 42-52