An explicit approach to evolutionarily stable dispersal strategies: no cost of dispersal

The evolution of dispersal is examined by looking at evolutionarily stable strategies (ESS) for dispersal parameters in discrete time multisite models without ally cost of dispersal, ESS are investigated analytically, based o n explicit results on sensitivity analysis of matrix models. The basic mode l considers an arbitrary number of sites and a single age class. An ESS for dispersal parameters is obtained when the spatial reproductive values, cal culated at the density-dependent population equilibrium, are equal across s ites. From this basic formulation, one derives equivalently that all local populations should be at equilibrium in the absence of migration, and that dispersal between sites should be balanced, i.e., the numbers of individual s arriving to and leaving a site ar-e equal. These results are then general ized to a model with several age classes. Equal age-specific reproductive v alues do not however imply balanced dispersal in this case. Our results gen eralize to any number of sites and age classes those available [M. Doebeli, Dispersal and dynamics, Theoret. Popul. Biol, 47(1995) 82] for two sites a nd one age class, (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc, All rights reserved.