Habitat selection is often regarded as the result of only one decision, to select the habitat or not. However, the number of individuals in a habitat is affected by the rate at which individuals establish as well as leaving and mortality rates. In this paper I examine how establishment and emigration/mortality rates are affected by density, dominance relationships and habitat quality in net-spinning Hydropsyche siltalai larvae. A field experiment involved release of marked larvae onto artificiaI substrates occupied by different densities of residents. The experiment was performed at two sites, differing with respect to food availability. After one day, establishment was highest at intermediate densities, but did not differ between the two sites. The number of larvae that had emigrated and/or died after 10 days was unaffected by density but was higher at the low food site compared to the high food site
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Englund et al. (1993) studied this question.