6533b825fe1ef96bd12820a3

RESEARCH PRODUCT

The Spatial Dimension in Population Fluctuations

Per LundbergPer LundbergPer LundbergEsa RantaVeijo KaitalaVeijo KaitalaVeijo Kaitala

subject

0106 biological scienceseducation.field_of_studyMultidisciplinarybiology010604 marine biology & hydrobiologyPopulationCanadian lynxPopulation ecologybiology.organism_classification010603 evolutionary biology01 natural sciencesOut of phaseGeographyDimension (vector space)Population modelClimatologySynchronismeducationSpatial organization

description

Theoretical research into the dynamics of coupled populations has suggested a rich ensemble of spatial structures that are created and maintained either by external disturbances or self-reinforcing interactions among the populations. Long-term data of the Canadian lynx from eight Canadian provinces display large-scale spatial synchrony in population fluctuations. The synchronous dynamics are not time-invariant, however, as pairs of populations that are initially in step may drift out of phase and back into phase. These observations are in agreement with predictions of a spatially-linked population model and support contemporary population ecology theory.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
1997-12-05Science
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.278.5343.1621