Final answer:
When metapopulation theory is applied to species interactions, it is termed community ecology, which studies how different species within an ecosystem affect each other's survival and distribution.
Step-by-step explanation:
When metapopulation theory is extended to examining interactions among species, it is termed community ecology. In a metapopulation, small local populations are connected by the movement of individuals amongst them, enhancing the species' overall survival and genetic diversity.
Community ecology goes further by studying those interactions in an extended community of different species. It considers how species such as predators and prey, or different plants and animals in an ecosystem, influence each other's presence and survival rates, hence affecting community dynamics and evolution. An example of this could be studying the interrelations between birds, crabs, and grasses in a marsh, which influences the population density and distribution of each species without focusing on non-biological factors such as water or air quality.
This extended concept encompasses coevolution and symbiosis, which are vital in understanding the complex dynamics that take place in ecological communities.