Figure 5

Feedback mechanisms. Net changes in the number of empty patches (patch extinction; A), the number of infected patches (B) and the number of uninfected patches (C) in a metapopulation with stable infection rates, plotted over the number of respectively empty, infected and uninfected patches. Regression lines indicate areas where negative feedback regulation occur (μ = 0.3, σ = 2). Net changes are calculated as the absolute difference in the number of empty (A), infected (B) or uninfected (C) patches at time t+1 in relation to the actual number of patches at time t.