Localized vegetation patches: a self-organized response to resource scarcity.
Abstract
We show that spatial self-organization allows vegetation to survive greater resource limitation. Isolated vegetation patches observed in nutrient-poor territories of South America and West Africa are interpreted as localized structures arising from the bistability between the bare state and the patchy vegetation state.
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The uniform spatial patterning of termite mounds enhances the overall productivity of the entire landscape.
“the uniform spatial patterning of these mounds enhances the overall productivity of the entire landscape.”
From Spatial Pattern Enhances Ecosystem Functioning in an African Savanna (2010) · cites this paper as [12]
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“. Here, we show that the even spacing of subterranean termite mounds in an apparently homogeneous African savanna provides a template for parallel spatial patterning in tree-dwelling animal communities. We further show that the uniformity of this pattern at small spatial scales elevates the productivity of the entire…”
BackgroundThermodynamic Foundations of the Earth System
Kleidon, A. (2016) · doi:10.1017/cbo9781139342742 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
- Authors
- Lejeune, O., Tlidi, M., & Couteron, P.
- Affiliations
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (BE)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Venue
- Physical Review E
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Published
- 2002-07-29
- Volume
- 66
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 010901-010901
- ISSN
- 1063-651X (ISSN-L)
- 1095-3787
- OpenAlex
- W2087445085
- Cited by
- 240
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 3.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Dépôt institutionnel de l'Université libre de Bruxelles (Université Libre de Bruxelles) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Networks and Communications › Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern Formation
- Keywords
- vegetation patches, spatial self-organization, resource constraints, bistability, patchy vegetation, nutrient limitation, desertification, vegetation dynamics
- MeSH terms
- Africa, Western, Biophysics, Environment, Models, Biological, South America, Ecosystem, Biophysical Phenomena, Plant Development
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