Minimizing the Population Extinction Risk by Migration

Michael Khasin, Baruch Meerson, Evgeniy Khain, and Leonard M. Sander

Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 138104 – Published 27 September 2012

Abstract

Many populations in nature are fragmented: they consist of local populations occupying separate patches. A local population is prone to extinction due to the shot noise of birth and death processes. A migrating population from another patch can dramatically delay the extinction. What is the optimal migration rate that minimizes the extinction risk of the whole population? Here, we answer this question for a connected network of model habitat patches with different carrying capacities.

Received 16 January 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.138104

Authors & Affiliations

Michael Khasin^1,2, Baruch Meerson³, Evgeniy Khain², and Leonard M. Sander¹

¹Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1040, USA
²Department of Physics, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309, USA
³Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel

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Issue

Vol. 109, Iss. 13 — 28 September 2012

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