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Abstract
The search for mechanisms behind spatial population synchrony is currently a major
issue in population ecology. Theoretical studies highlight how synchronizing mechanisms
such as dispersal, regionally correlated climatic variables and mobile enemies might
interact with local dynamics to produce different patterns of spatial covariance.
Specialized statistical methods, applied to large-scale survey data, aid in testing
the theoretical predictions with empirical estimates. Observational studies and experiments
on the demography of local populations are paramount to identify the true ecological
mechanisms. The recent achievements illustrate the power of combining theory, observation
and/or experimentation and statistical modeling in the ecological research protocol.