The Researches Of Metapopulation Temporal And Spatial Dynamics' Responds To Niche Construction

Metapopulation ecology is one of the important frontiers in recent international research of spatial ecology. Niche construction is one of the novel hotspots in niche, which has been developed over a period of several decades. The subject of this dissertation is the new focus between these two fields: the research on metapopulation's niche construction. The persistent conditions and the temporal and spatial dynamics of metapopulation with niche construction. Two approaches will be utilized in this dissertation. One is the differential dynamical system. I will use the phase plane analysis and numerical solution to illustrate the equilibriums and their stability of the system. The other is the simulated models in spatial ecology: cellular automaton and coupled-map model. By the simulation, I can show the explicit graphic mode of the spatial pattern, structure and dynamics. The dissertation consists of five chapters. Chapter one summarizes the essential frameworks and the frontiers and development of metapopulation and niche construction. Chapter two discusses the persistent conditions of metapopulation with niche construction. Chapter three focus on the changes of ecological order and dynamics of n-populations metapopulation with niche construction. Chapter four indicates the effects of niche construction on temporal and spatial dynamics, based on a new kind of metapopulation model. In the last chapter, I make the main conclusions and the perspectives about the metapopulation with niche construction development. Among of them, I extend the model of metapopulation with niche construction; analyzed the persistent conditions of metapopulation with niche construction; discuss the changes of ecological order with different niche construction intensities. Ten results and conclusions are obtained in this dissertation.1. In discrete states habitat, the persistent condition of local population with niche construction is that the benefits from niche construction to colonization rate is greater than to the extinction rate.2. In discrete states habitat, the persistent condition of local population without niche construction is that there are enough empty but suitable habitats, which is called as Levins rule. 3. In continuous states habitat, the persistent condition of local population with niche construction is that the colonization expectation of the local population with niche construction is bigger than without niche construction.4. In continuous states habitat, the persistent condition of local population with niche construction is that the colonization expectation of the local population without niche construction is bigger than with niche construction.5. The equilibrium size of metapopulation with niche construction is the key factor of stable coexistence of local population with and without niche construction.6. In n-population metapopulation, the intensity of niche construction has large effects on the ecological order.7. The "2n-populations" have same the threshold of the intensity of niche construction. When the niche construction is bigger than the threshold, all "2n-populations" can exist. The "(2n+1)-populations" have differences thresholds of the intensity of niche construction.8. With the niche construction intensity increasing, the equilibrium size of "(2n+1)-populations" increases, the equilibrium size of "2n-populations" decreases.9. Based on Levins' model, I built a new kind model of metapopulation with niche construction. This model may well descript the difference between negative and positive niche construction in metapopulation dynamics.10. According to the new model, there are the extinction threshold and the stabile threshold. When the niche construction intensity is smaller than the extinction threshold, the metapopulation will extinct. And when the niche construction intensity is bigger than the stabile threshold, the metapopulation will be chaos. When the niche construction is between the two thresholds, the metapopulation dynamics is stable.11. These two thresholds primarily depend on the colonization rate.12. The couple-map lattice model suggests that self-organized cricoid wave is the form of "ecological imprint" that induced by niche construction in island habitat, and dispersal plays an important role in the cricoid wave showing. In the dissertation, the researches on the metapopulation with niche construction are expanded in spatial structure model and their ecological responses to differently spatial patterns are also discussed. We innovates in the theoretical patterns of niche construction in metapopulation dynamics and its spatially dynamic simulation, the results of which develop theoretically and enrich methodologically the theory of metapopulation and niche construction.