Ecosystem engineers are organisms characterized by interacting with other organisms thorough physical modifications or modifying their habitat. Examples of ecosystem engineers include Spartina alterniflora cordgrass or the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha. For both of these, the effect of modifying the environment can be nonlocal, affecting other regions farther away from the region populated by the ecosystem engineer. This shows the importance of understanding the population dynamics of ecosystem engineers in a spatial context. To do this, we have developed an extension of the ecosystem engineer population model of Cuddington et al. (Am Natur, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1086/597216 ) to the simplest spatial model, incorporating two local populations. We use this model to understand the relationship between dispersal and engineering effects, both at local and regional scales. Our main result is that the delayed Allee effect induced in the nonspatial model is extended to the spatial model, so the spread dynamics of an ecosystem engineer can be similar to the Allee case. However, there are more complex possibilities due to the two components of the dynamics. We also find quantitative guidelines that explain the interaction between spread of the environment modification and organism spread.

中文翻译：

---

生态系统工程师的空间动力学和传播：两个补丁分析

生态系统工程师是一种生物，其特征是与其他生物相互作用，彻底改变物理或改变它们的栖息地。生态系统工程师的例子包括互花米草或斑马贻贝 Dreissena polymorpha。对于这两种情况，修改环境的影响可能是非局部的，会影响远离生态系统工程师居住区域的其他区域。这表明在空间环境中了解生态系统工程师的种群动态非常重要。为此，我们开发了 Cuddington 等人的生态系统工程师种群模型的扩展。(Am Natur, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1086/597216 ) 到最简单的空间模型，包含两个当地人口。我们使用这个模型来理解扩散和工程效应之间的关系，在地方和区域范围内。我们的主要结果是非空间模型中引起的延迟 Allee 效应扩展到空间模型，因此生态系统工程师的传播动态可以类似于 Allee 情况。然而，由于动力学的两个组成部分，存在更复杂的可能性。我们还找到了解释环境改变传播与生物传播之间相互作用的定量指南。