Effects of spatial variations and dispersal strategies on principal eigenvalues of dispersal operators and spreading speeds of monostable equations (Q350775)

In this paper, the authors concern are the effects of spatial variations on the principal eigenvalues of dispersal operators with a random or discrete or nonlocal dispersal and periodic boundary condition, and the effects of spatial variations and dispersal strategies on the spreading speeds of monostable equations in periodic environments. They first show that spatial variation cannot reduce the principal eigenvalue (if it exists) of a dispersal operator with random, discrete or nonlocal dispersal and periodic boundary condition, and indeed it is increased except for degenerate cases. The authors prove that if the principal eigenvalues of the discrete or nonlocal dispersal exist, they are greater than those of the associated spatially homogeneous problem provided a natural restriction. They prove that the spatial variation enhances the spatial spreading in the given eigenvalue problems.