Tipping Cascades in a Multi-patch System with Noise and Spatial Coupling

Forecasting tipping points in spatially extended systems is a key area of interest to ecologists. A slowly declining spatially distributed population is an important example of an ecological system that could exhibit a cascade of tipping points. Here, we develop a spatial two-patch model with environmental stochasticity that is slowly forced through population collapse, in the presence of changing environmental conditions. We begin with a basic spatial model, then introduce a fast–slow version of the model using geometric singular perturbation theory, followed by the inclusion of stochasticity. Using the spectral density of the fluctuating subpopulation in each patch, we derive analytic expressions for candidate indicators of population extinction and evaluate their performance through a simulation study. We find that coupling and spatial heterogeneity decrease the magnitude of the proposed indicators in coupled populations relative to isolated populations. Moreover, the degree of coupling dictates the trends in summary statistics. We conclude that this theory may be applied to other contexts, including the control of invasive species.