A metapopulation describes occupied habitat patches with local colonization and extinction. The patch occupancy variable differs from population abundance within a patch.
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A metapopulation is a group of spatially separated populations of the same species that interact through various mechanisms, such as migration, dispersal, or gene flow. The concept of metapopulation was introduced in the context of conservation biology and ecology to describe how populations can coexist in fragmented habitats and remain connected through these interactions.