Metapopulation

A metapopulation is a group of separate populations of the same species living in different patches of habitat but interacting through individuals moving between these patches. Think of it as a network where local populations can go extinct, but the overall species persists because new individuals can migrate from thriving patches to re-establish or support declining ones. This concept helps ecologists understand how species survive in fragmented environments, emphasizing the balance between local extinctions and recolonizations across the landscape.