patch dynamics, in ecology, a theoretical approach positing that the structure, function, and dynamics of an ecological system can be understood and predicted from an analysis of its smaller interactive spatial components (patches). In addition to its significance as a theoretical approach, the term patch dynamics may be used to refer simply to changes that occur over time in the spatial patterns of ecosystem components. The concept of patch dynamics is based on the observation that ecosystems are spatially heterogeneous—that is, they contain a diverse and unevenly distributed mixture of organisms and resources—and heterogeneity occurs across scales of time and
