Dispersers’ habitat detection and settling abilities modulate the effect of habitat amount on metapopulation resilience

Abstract Context Metapopulation theory makes useful predictions for conservation in fragmented landscapes. For randomly distributed habitat patches, it predicts that the ability of a metapopulation to recover from low occupancy level (the “metapopulation capacity”) linearly increases with amount. This prediction derives describing dispersal between two patches as function their features and distance separating them only, without interaction rest landscape. However, if individuals can stop when hitting patch (“habitat detection settling” ability), may modulate by intercepting dispersers (which constitutes “shadow” effect). Objectives We aim at evaluating how settling ability, subsequent shadow effect, relationship capacity amount metapopulation. Methods Considering simple models contrasted animal movement types, we used analytical simulations study under various levels dispersers’ ability. Results Increasing led to: (i) larger values than expected classic (ii) concave amount–metapopulation relationship. Conclusions Overlooking lead underestimating misevaluating benefit increasing Therefore, further integration our mechanistic understanding animals’ displacement into is urgently needed.