Final answer:
A potential disadvantage of living in a metapopulation compared to a single large population includes inbreeding depression, (option b) due to mating between close relatives, and increased risk of local extinctions, which can lead to decreased genetic diversity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Living in a metapopulation can bring several disadvantages compared to living in a single large population. Metapopulations are groups of populations that are separated by space but interact through the movement of individuals, genes, or diseases. One potential disadvantage of this arrangement is inbreeding depression (option b). Inbreeding depression occurs when close relatives mate, increasing the probability that offspring will inherit harmful, recessive alleles. This could lead to decreased fitness and a higher risk of offspring with genetic defects.
Another issue related to metapopulation dynamics is the increased risk of local extinction (option c). Smaller populations within a metapopulation are more vulnerable to stochastic events that can remove them entirely. Such local extinctions can reduce the overall genetic diversity of the metapopulation, although they might be temporarily offset by migration of individuals between local populations.
One key reason why smaller populations are more susceptible to genetic drift is given by their reduced size. In small populations, a chance event (like accidental deaths) can have a greater effect on the genetic structure than it would in a larger population. Over time this can lead to increased frequency of alleles that may be deleterious, reducing the overall fitness of the population. In summary, the decreased genetic diversity and risk of local extinctions are major disadvantages of living in a metapopulation compared to a single, large population.