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Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 198101 (2001) [4 pages]

Diversity of Vegetation Patterns and Desertification

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J. von Hardenberg1,4, E. Meron1,3, M. Shachak2, and Y. Zarmi1,3
1Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics, BIDR, Ben Gurion University, Sede Boker Campus 84990, Israel
2Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, BIDR, Ben Gurion University, Sede Boker Campus 84990, Israel
3Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
4Institute for Scientific Interchange, Viale Settimio Severo 65, 10133 Torino, Italy

Received 29 May 2001; published 18 October 2001

See accompanying Physics Focus

A new model for vegetation patterns is introduced. The model reproduces a wide range of patterns observed in water-limited regions, including drifting bands, spots, and labyrinths. It predicts transitions from bare soil at low precipitation to homogeneous vegetation at high precipitation, through intermediate states of spot, stripe, and hole patterns. It also predicts wide precipitation ranges where different stable states coexist. Using these predictions we propose a novel explanation of desertification phenomena and a new approach to classifying aridity.

© 2001 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.198101
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.198101
PACS:
87.23.Cc, 89.75.Kd
 
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