Final answer:
A metapopulation is a population that cannot support positive population growth and can only persist when individuals immigrate from other local populations.
Step-by-step explanation:
A metapopulation is a population that cannot support positive population growth and can only persist when individuals immigrate from other local populations. Metapopulations consist of interconnected local populations, where larger mainland populations act as sources of emigrants to smaller populations. Emigration from the mainland supplements the smaller populations, introduces new genetic material, and allows recolonization if local extinction occurs.