Stripes, strands or stipples: modelling the influence of three landscape banding patterns on resource capture and productivity in semi-arid woodlands, Australia

Ludwig, John A.; Tongway, David J.; Marsden, S. G.

doi:10.1016/s0341-8162(98)00067-8

Cited by 152 publications

(120 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…A similar effect of spatial patterning was found in arid ecosystems, in that resilience, growth, and persistence of vegetation at low rainfall levels were strongly improved (Ludwig et al 1999;von Hardenberg et al 2001;Rietkerk et al 2002;van de Koppel and Rietkerk 2004). Spatial redistribution of surface water between patches because of lateral flow improved the efficiency of water harvesting by the vegetation, increasing production and lowering water losses from the system (Ludwig and Tongway 1995;Ludwig et al 1999;. Hence, our study highlights that self-organization may influence the flow of resources through the ecosystem and thereby affects the functioning of ecosystems at larger spatial scales.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

Scale‐Dependent Feedback and Regular Spatial Patterns in Young Mussel Beds

Koppel¹,

Rietkerk²,

Dankers³

et al. 2005

The American Naturalist

239

130

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In the past decade, theoretical ecologists have emphasized that local interactions between predators and prey may invoke emergent spatial patterning at larger spatial scales. However, empirical evidence for the occurrence of emergent spatial patterning is scarce, which questions the relevance of the proposed mechanisms to ecological theory. We report on regular spatial patterns in young mussel beds on soft sediments in the Wadden Sea. We propose that scale-dependent feedback, resulting from short-range facilitation by mutual protection from waves and currents and long-range competition for algae, induces spatial self-organization, thereby providing a possible explanation for the observed patterning. The emergent self-organization affects the functioning of mussel bed ecosystems by enhancing productivity and resilience against disturbance. Moreover, self-organization allows mussels to persist at algal concentrations that would not permit survival of mussels in a homogeneous bed. Our results emphasize the importance of self-organization in affecting the emergent properties of natural systems at larger spatial scales.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

Scale‐Dependent Feedback and Regular Spatial Patterns in Young Mussel Beds

Koppel¹,

Rietkerk²,

Dankers³

et al. 2005

The American Naturalist

239

130

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“…Other examples are banded patterns such as the "tiger bush" in Africa and the "mogotes" in Mexico (Fig. 6), in which the dense biomass patches form bands, stripes or arcs (Saco et al, 2007;Ludwig et al, 1999) aligned along contour lines. These patterns exert a strong influence on the re-distribution of water and nutrients within the system (Saco et al, 2007;Tietjen et al, 2009a).…”

Section: Bio-geomorphological Thresholds For Hortonian Overland Flow mentioning

confidence: 99%

Threshold behaviour in hydrological systems as (human) geo-ecosystems: manifestations, controls, implications

Zehe¹,

Sivapalan

2009

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

196

139

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Abstract. In this paper we review threshold behaviour in environmental systems, which are often associated with the onset of floods, contamination and erosion events, and other degenerative processes. Key objectives of this review are to a) suggest indicators for detecting threshold behavior, b) discuss their implications for predictability, c) distinguish different forms of threshold behavior and their underlying controls, and d) hypothesise on possible reasons for why threshold behaviour might occur. Threshold behaviour involves a fast qualitative change of either a single process or the response of a system. For elementary phenomena this switch occurs when boundary conditions (e.g., energy inputs) or system states as expressed by dimensionless quantities (e.g. the Reynolds number) exceed threshold values. Mixing, water movement or depletion of thermodynamic gradients becomes much more efficient as a result. Intermittency is a very good indicator for detecting event scale threshold behavior in hydrological systems. Predictability of intermittent processes/system responses is inherently low for combinations of systems states and/or boundary conditions that push the system close to a threshold. Post hoc identification of "cause-effect relations" to explain when the system became critical is inherently difficult because of our limited ability to perform observations under controlled identical experimental conditions. In this review, we distinguish three forms of threshold behavior. The first one is threshold behavior at the Correspondence to: E. Zehe (e.zehe@bv.tum.de) process level that is controlled by the interplay of local soil characteristics and states, vegetation and the rainfall forcing. Overland flow formation, particle detachment and preferential flow are examples of this. The second form of threshold behaviour is the response of systems of intermediate complexity -e.g., catchment runoff response and sediment yield -governed by the redistribution of water and sediments in space and time. These are controlled by the topological architecture of the catchments that interacts with system states and the boundary conditions. Crossing the response thresholds means to establish connectedness of surface or subsurface flow paths to the catchment outlet. Subsurface stormflow in humid areas, overland flow and erosion in semi-arid and arid areas are examples, and explain that crossing local process thresholds is necessary but not sufficient to trigger a system response threshold. The third form of threshold behaviour involves changes in the "architecture" of human geoecosystems, which experience various disturbances. As a result substantial change in hydrological functioning of a system is induced, when the disturbances exceed the resilience of the geo-ecosystem. We present examples from savannah ecosystems, humid agricultural systems, mining activities affecting rainfall runoff in forested areas, badlands formation in Spain, and the restoration of the Upper Rhine river basin as examples of this phenomenon. This fun...

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“…A common vegetation pattern found in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, usually referred to as spotted or stippled, consists of dense vegetation clusters that are irregular in shape and surrounded by bare soil (Lavee et al, 1998;Aguiar and Sala, 1999;Ludwig et al, 1999). Another common pattern is banded vegetation, also known as "tiger bush" in Africa and "mogotes" in Mexico, in which the dense biomass patches form bands, stripes or arcs (Aguiar and Sala, 1999;Ludwig et al, 1999;d'Herbes et al, 2001).…”

Section: Processes Patterns and Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eco-geomorphology of banded vegetation patterns in arid and semi-arid regions

Saco

Willgoose

Hancock

2007

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

206

209

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Abstract.The interaction between vegetation and hydrologic processes is particularly tight in water-limited environments where a positive-feedback links soil moisture and vegetation. The vegetation of these systems is commonly patterned, that is, arranged in a two phase mosaic composed of patches with high biomass cover interspersed within a lowcover or bare soil component. These patterns are strongly linked to the redistribution of runoff and resources from source areas (bare patches) to sink areas (vegetation patches) and play an important role in controlling erosion.In this paper, the dynamics of these systems is investigated using a new modeling framework that couples landform and vegetation evolution, explicitly accounting for the dynamics of runon-runoff areas. The objective of this study is to analyze water-limited systems on hillslopes with mild slopes, in which overland flow occurs predominantly in only one direction and vegetation displays a banded pattern. Our simulations reproduce bands that can be either stationary or upstream migrating depending on the magnitude of the runoffinduced seed dispersal. We also found that stationary banded systems redistribute sediment so that a stepped microtopography is developed. The modelling results are the first to incorporate the effects of runoff redistribution and variable infiltration rates on the development of both the vegetation patterns and microtopography. The microtopography for stationary bands is characterized by bare soil on the lower gradient areas and vegetation on steeper gradients areas. For the case of migrating vegetation bands the model generates hillslope profiles with planar topography. The success at generating not only the observed patterns of vegetation, but also patterns of runoff and sediment redistribution suggests that the hydrologic and erosion mechanisms represented in the Correspondence to: P. M. Saco (patricia.saco@newcastle.edu.au) model are correctly capturing some of the key processes driving these ecosystems.

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Stripes, strands or stipples: modelling the influence of three landscape banding patterns on resource capture and productivity in semi-arid woodlands, Australia

Cited by 152 publications

References 36 publications

Scale‐Dependent Feedback and Regular Spatial Patterns in Young Mussel Beds

Scale‐Dependent Feedback and Regular Spatial Patterns in Young Mussel Beds

Threshold behaviour in hydrological systems as (human) geo-ecosystems: manifestations, controls, implications

Eco-geomorphology of banded vegetation patterns in arid and semi-arid regions

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