OIKOS 98: 263–270, 2002 Metapopulation persistence in dynamic landscapes: the role of dispersal distance Karin Johst, Roland Brandl and Sabine Eber Johst, K., Brandl, R. and Eber, S. 2002. Metapopulation persistence in dynamic landscapes: the role of dispersal distance. – Oikos 98: 263 – 270. Species associated with transient habitats need efficient dispersal strategies to ensure their regional survival. Using a spatially explicit metapopulation model, we studied the effect of the dispersal range on the persistence of a metapopulation as a function of the local population and landscape dynamics (including habitat patch destruction and subsequent regeneration). Our results show that the impact of the dispersal range depends on both the local population and patch growth. This is due to interactions between dispersal and the dynamics of patches and populations via the number of potential dispersers. In general, long-range dispersal had a positive effect on persis- tence in a dynamic landscape compared to short-range dispersal. Long-range disper- sal increases the number of couplings between the patches and thus the colonisation of regenerated patches. However, long-range dispersal lost its advantage for long- term persistence when the number of potential dispersers was low due to small population growth rates and/or small patch growth rates. Its advantage also disap- peared with complex local population dynamics and in a landscape with clumped patch distribution. K. Johst, UFZ – Centre for Enironmental Research, Leipzig -Halle Ltd., Dept of Ecological Modelling, P.O. Box 500135, D-04301 Leipzig, Germany, (kajo@oesa.ufz.de).– R. Brandl, Philipps Uni. of Marburg, Dept of Biology, Karl - on -Frisch -Str. 1, D-35032 Marburg, Germany.– S. Eber, Uni. of Go ¨ttingen, Dept of Agroecology, D-37073 Go ¨ttingen, Germany. The survival of metapopulations depends on a balance of local extinction and recolonisation. This balance is influenced by the local population dynamics, the envi- ronment, and the strength and mode of dispersal. An appropriate theoretical framework for studying the long-term persistence of metapopulations has been pro- vided by the classical metapopulation concept. The advantage of this concept is its minimalism in explicit model parameters (Hanski 1994, 1997, Moilanen and Hanski 1998, Hanski and Ovaskainen 2000). However, it fails under certain conditions because mathematical tractability imposes simplified assumptions concerning the long-term persistence of patches and the time-scale separation between local and global dynamics (Drech- sler and Wissel 1997). Most natural habitats display at least some degree of dynamics. For example, due to succession, the structure and suitability of plant patches may change (Johnson 2000, Amarasekare and Possingham 2001). Further- more, patches may be destroyed through human activi- ties or by natural disturbances. However, patches (e.g. plant patches) are able to regrow and become suitable patches again (Thomas et al. 1996, Eber and Brandl 1996, Halley and Dempster 1996, Stelter et al. 1997). Species associated with transient habitats have to cope with an ever changing number, quality and spatial arrangement of patches over time (Fahrig 1992). Hence their persistence depends on efficient dispersal strate- gies. A trait which seems to be very important for the efficiency of dispersal is the mean dispersal distance. Accepted 3 December 2001 Copyright © OIKOS 2002 ISSN 0030-1299 OIKOS 98:2 (2002) 263