“…The origin of these FCs in water‐limited drylands has puzzled scientists for decades (Sahagian, ; van Rooyen et al, ). The hypotheses include (a) allelopathic influences of a plant that no longer occurs in FCs (Meyer et al, ; Theron, ); (b) seepage of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, or other volatiles from below ground that kills grass in regular patterns (Albrecht et al, ; Jankowitz et al, ; Naude et al, ); (c) an unspecified microbial effect (Eicker et al, ; Ramond et al, ; van der Walt et al, ); (d) faunal removal of grasses by termites (Becker & Getzin, ; Juergens, ; Moll, ; Tarnita et al, ; Vlieghe et al, ) or detrimental influence on grasses by ants (Picker et al, ); and (e) self‐organized emergent vegetation patterning arising from competitive and facilitative interactions between grasses (Cramer et al, ; Cramer & Barger, ; Getzin et al, , , , ; Ravi et al, ; Tschinkel, ; van Rooyen et al, ).…”