A survey of stepping-stone models in population dynamics

Abstract

A survey is presented of stochastic and deterministic developments in the study of the effects of nearest-neighbour ‘migration’ between spatially separated ‘colonies’. Such processes are of general applicability, and are relevant to any vector processX(t) = (X1(t), · ··,XN(t)) in which the arrival, departure and transfer rates for the states {X(t) = n} may be written in the formαi(ni), βi(ni) andγij(ni,nj), respectively, wheren =(n1,· ··, nN). Whilst the main body of results are described in terms of birth-death, genetic and epidemic situations, the final section examines within colony interaction in the context of spatial predator-prey processes.