Effects on spectral color of a spatially-structured population: Environmental noise, dispersal, spatial heterogeneity

In the present study, we constructed a spatially-structured population model, which is described by coupled-map lattices. The lattice represents patch habitat, which is subject to environmental noise. Spectral exponent of the time series of the average population size is computed. Three factors, environmental noise, dispersal pattern, and spatial heterogeneity, on the spectral exponent are investigated. The simulation results showed that only environmental noises can redden the spectral color of the average population size, and the color also depends on the color, the amplitude and the variance of the environmental noise. Neither dispersal nor spatial heterogeneity is verified to redden the spectral color. The importance of our research is enriching the theory of reddened spectrum in natural world. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.