Abstract:Niche construction, a term referring to the modification of environments by organisms, can profoundly influence the dynamics and distribution of metapopulations. For the discussion of the relationship between the metapopulation persistence and its dynamics, we extended Tilman′s multi-species competition model to n-population niche-construction model. We did so by introducing the feedback of populations on the environments into n-population metapopulation model. The niche fitness was introduced to measure the impact of niche construction. For conciseness, we assumed that population′s competitive ability is the reciprocal of the intensity of niche construction. The results of the simulation were: (1) when the coefficient of niche-constructing intensity is less than 1.68, metapopulation can not persist. As the intensity of niche construction is increasing to 1.95, only the populations that the ranking of population competitive ability is even numbers appeared completely, while those odd populations can not survive yet. All populations, however, coexisted until the coefficient of niche-constructing intensity reached 2.50. In this process, the populations that the sequence number is even suddenly increased from zero to five; but odd populations appeared gradually according to the ranking of their competitive ability from strong to weak. This result shows that the even populations have a same threshold of the niche-constructing intensity (1.68), while the thresholds of odd populations increase with the decreasing of competitive abilities. (2) The magnitudes of equilibrium populations have a relationship with the niche construction intensity. With the niche-constructing intensity is enhanced (more than 2.50), the equilibriums magnitudes of populations that the sequence number is even decreased, whereas those of odd sequence number increased. If the coefficient of niche-constructing intensity is large enough, the equilibriums magnitudes of all populations were convergent to those in Tilman′s multi-species model. Especially, the metapopulation presented coordinate evolution with +1,+3,+5,+7,+9 grade and zero extinction when reducing the intensity of niche-construction. This result suggests that niche construction also affects the ecological order of metapopulation, i.e. the sequence of populations’ occupy proportion of habitat.