Articles | Volume 30, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-585-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-585-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
11 Dec 2023
Research article |
| 11 Dec 2023
| 11 Dec 2023
Existence and influence of mixed states in a model of vegetation patterns
Lilian Vanderveken
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Marina Martínez Montero
Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Michel Crucifix
Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Vegetation patterns in semi-arid regions arise from interactions between plants and environmental factors. This study uses a numerical model to explore how vegetation responds to changes in rainfall and random disturbances. We identify key timescales that influence resilience, showing that ecosystems rely on both stable and unstable states to adapt. These findings offer insights into the resilience mechanisms that help ecosystems maintain stability under environmental stress.
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Short summary
In semi-arid regions, hydric stress affects plant growth. In these conditions, vegetation patterns develop and effectively allow for vegetation to persist under low water input. The formation of patterns and the transition between patterns can be studied with small models taking the form of dynamical systems. Our study produces a full map of stable and unstable solutions in a canonical vegetation model and shows how they determine the transitions between different patterns.
In semi-arid regions, hydric stress affects plant growth. In these conditions, vegetation...
