A source population

Question

A source population

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A source population is a population that maintains a positive growth rate, meaning that it is able to produce more offspring than it loses to mortality, emigration, or other factors. This allows the population to serve as a source of individuals that can disperse to other areas and potentially colonize new habitats. It does not necessarily require maintenance by immigrants from a sink population, nor is it typically located in small, isolated patches. While extinction is a risk for any population, a source population by definition has a growth rate that exceeds mortality, so it is not necessarily more prone to extinction than any other population.

A Source Population