Regular and Irregular Patterns in Semiarid Vegetation
- 11 June 1999
- journal article
- other
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 284 (5421) , 1826-1828
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.284.5421.1826
Abstract
Vegetation in many semiarid regions is strikingly patterned, forming regular stripes on hillsides and irregular mosaics on flat ground. A simple model of plant and water dynamics based on ecologically realistic assumptions and with reasonable parameter values captures both of these types of patterns. The regular patterns result from a Turing-like instability; the irregular patterns arise when the ecological dynamics amplify slight small-scale topographic variability. Because of the close agreement between observations and these theoretical results, this system provides a clear example of how nonlinear mechanisms can be important in determining the spatial structure of plant communities.Keywords
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