Populations with the ability to move are also much more protected against random events such as environmental factors that might take out a few small populations. Unaffected patches nearby can move in and repopulate the area, rather than loosing the species to that area forever. Negative aspects to a population can also move. An aggressive disease can spread easily and quickly. In this case, rather than affecting only a certain patch, it is able to potentially affect the entire population.
Predators are also able to use patches to move and follow right along with their prey.
In this later example this is both a deterrent to the population prairie dogs and a benefit to the management of ferrets. At one point, one of main researchers and participants in ferret reintroduction told us of a drastic measure they would consider if disease threatened to move through the prairie dog population. In an attempt to stop the spread of the disease, which could easily reduce prairie dog numbers to a level that would no longer support ferrets, they would destroy the small, connecting patches by whatever means necessary. The health of the reintroduced ferret population directly correlates to the health and success of the prairie dog population, and the quality and quantity of the habitat relates to both ferrets and prairie dogs.