The theory of metapopulation dynamics now embraces a diversity of spatially
structured populations. New and increasingly realistic models address impo
rtant details of population and community dynamics. But general results are
difficult to glean from such realistic models. Discovering the general beh
aviour of these models will require meaningful comparison of metapopulation
s with very diverse structures. A simple parameter space can be constructed
to facilitate such comparisons. The axes defining this space determine bot
h the structure of metapopulations and the potential for action of various
persistence mechanisms. This exercise clarifies the relationship between me
tapopulation structure and dynamics, and illustrates future research opport
unities.