Global Ecology and Biogeography,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Dec. 2, 2024
ABSTRACT
Aim
To
characterise
the
size
and
geometry
of
coral
reefs
on
a
global
scale.
Location
Global.
Time
Period
Present.
Major
Taxa
Studied
Coral
reefs.
Methods
We
process
Allen
Atlas
database
shallow‐water
tropical
to
obtain
comprehensive
unprecedented
inventory
worldwide.
analyse
different
macroecological
morphological
patterns,
including
distribution,
area‐perimeter
relationship,
inter‐reef
distance
fractal
dimension
individual
provinces.
Results
identified
total
1,579,772
worldwide
(>
1000
m
2
),
extending
over
52,423
km
ocean
area
with
mean
median
sizes
3.32
0.3
ha,
respectively.
unravelled
three
universal
laws
that
are
common
all
reef
provinces:
size‐frequency
distribution
follow
power
an
exponent
1.8
2.33,
At
same
time,
relationship
conforms
power‐law
1.26.
Furthermore,
we
demonstrate
develop
patterns
characterised
by
perimeter
surface
.
Our
analysis
suggests
tend
evolve
from
simple
rounded
filled
shapes
more
complex,
elongated
less
compact
forms,
developing
into
structures
consistent
increasing
as
they
grow.
Main
Conclusions
display
intricate
fractal‐like
geometries
exhibit
largely
independent
their
geographical
location.
The
universality
observed
these
features
possibly
stem
highly
conserved
interactions
biological,
physical
chemical
processes.
Over
geological
scales,
processes
lead
landscape
among
provinces,
providing
new
information
relevant
growth
modelling.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
120(42)
Published: Oct. 10, 2023
Vegetation
Turing
patterns
play
a
critical
role
in
the
ecological
functioning
of
arid
and
semi-arid
ecosystems.
However,
long-range
spatial
features
these
have
been
neglected
compared
to
short-range
like
patch
shape
wavelength.
Drawing
inspiration
from
hyperuniform
structures
material
science,
we
find
that
vegetation
pattern
exhibits
dispersion
similar
hyperuniformity.
As
degree
hyperuniformity
increases,
so
does
water-use
efficiency
vegetation.
This
finding
supports
previous
studies
suggest
represent
spatially
optimized
self-organization
ecosystems
for
water
acquisition.
The
Turing-type
significant
slowing
down
near
tipping
point,
indicating
non-negligible
transient
dynamical
behavior.
Reduced
rainfall
not
only
decreases
resilience
steady
state
ecosystem
but
also
slows
rate
optimization
long
regimes.
We
propose
indicates
after
strong,
short-term
disturbances.
Spatially
heterogeneous
disturbances
reduce
lead
longer
recovery
times
than
homogeneous
maintain
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
122(11)
Published: March 13, 2025
We
study
how
self-organization
in
systems
showing
complex
spatiotemporal
dynamics
can
increase
ecosystem
resilience.
consider
a
general
simple
model
that
includes
positive
feedback
as
well
negative
mediated
by
an
inhibitor.
apply
this
to
Posidonia
oceanica
meadows,
where
and
feedbacks
are
documented,
there
is
empirical
evidence
of
the
role
sulfide
accumulation,
toxic
for
plant,
driving
dynamics.
describe
progressive
transition
from
homogeneous
meadows
extinction
through
dynamical
regimes
allow
avoid
typical
ecological
tipping
points
vegetation
covers.
A
predictable
sequence
distinct
observed
mortality
continuously
increased:
turbulent
regimes,
formation
spirals
wave
trains,
isolated
traveling
pulses
or
expanding
rings,
latter
being
harbinger
collapse,
however
far
beyond
point
cover.
The
used
paper
general,
results
be
applied
other
plant–soil
spatially
extended
systems,
regardless
mechanisms
behind
feedbacks.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
120(50)
Published: Dec. 7, 2023
Regular
spatial
patterns
of
vegetation
are
a
common
sight
in
drylands.
Their
formation
is
population-level
response
to
water
stress
that
increases
availability
for
the
few
via
partial
plant
mortality.
At
individual
level,
plants
can
also
adapt
by
changing
their
phenotype.
Phenotypic
plasticity
and
patterning
populations
have
extensively
been
studied
independently,
but
likely
interplay
between
two
robust
mechanisms
has
remained
unexplored.
In
this
paper,
we
incorporate
phenotypic
into
multi-level
theory
pattern
use
fascinating
ecological
phenomenon,
Namibian
“fairy
circles,”
demonstrate
need
such
theory.
We
show
changes
root
structure
plants,
coupled
with
pattern-forming
feedback
within
soil
layers,
resolve
puzzles
current
fails
explain:
observations
multi-scale
absence
theoretically
predicted
large-scale
stripe
spot
along
rainfall
gradient.
Importantly,
find
responses
unveil
wide
variety
more
effective
stress-relaxation
pathways,
compared
single-level
responses,
implying
previously
underestimated
resilience
dryland
ecosystems.
Physical review. E,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
111(1)
Published: Jan. 2, 2025
Interactions
between
organisms
are
mediated
by
an
intricate
network
of
physico-chemical
substances
and
other
organisms.
Understanding
the
dynamics
mediators
how
they
shape
population
spatial
distribution
is
key
to
predict
ecological
outcomes
would
be
transformed
changes
in
environmental
constraints.
However,
due
inherent
complexity
involved,
this
task
often
unfeasible,
from
empirical
theoretical
perspectives.
In
paper,
we
make
progress
addressing
central
issue,
creating
a
bridge
that
provides
two-way
connection
features
ensemble
underlying
wrinkles
density
induced
landscape
defect
(or
perturbation).
The
constructed
applying
Feynman-Vernon
decomposition,
which
disentangles
influences
among
focal
compact
way.
This
achieved
through
interaction
kernel,
effectively
incorporates
mediators'
degrees
freedom,
explaining
emergence
nonlocal
influence
individuals,
ad
hoc
assumption
modeling
dynamics.
Concrete
examples
worked
out
reveal
behind
possible
top-down
inference
procedure.
locked
icon
Physics
Subject
Headings
(PhySH)Ecological
pattern
formationPattern
formation
Frontiers in Complex Systems,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
3
Published: March 18, 2025
Coastal
Blue
Carbon
ecosystems
like
seagrass
meadows
are
foundation
habitats
with
a
capacity
to
sequester
and
store
organic
carbon
in
their
sediments,
protection
restoration
may
thereby
support
climate
change
mitigation
while
also
supporting
biodiversity
many
other
ecosystem
functions.
However,
being
lost
due
human
activities,
disease
and,
some
regions,
change,
which
trigger
the
release
of
stored
into
atmosphere.
Yet,
we
do
not
fully
understand
how
global
change-induced
loss
influences
sedimentary
dynamics.
What
is
even
less
clear
whether
result
tipping
points,
i.e.
,
abrupt
difficult-to-reverse
shifts,
flux
dynamics
turning
from
net
sinks
sources.
Here,
propose
that
conceptual
mechanistic
models
coupled
ecological
biogeochemical
can
help
study
effects
major
stressors
on
associated
fluxes.
We
then
illustrate
one
case
such
model
focuses
anthropogenic
induced
mortality
by
physical
stress
as
an
example.
Our
perspective
highlights
modeling
approach
for
understanding
response
fluxes
be
useful
informing
coastal
management
towards
actions.
Physical Review Research,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
7(2)
Published: May 28, 2025
In
this
work,
we
demonstrate
that
key
aspects
of
the
dynamical
behavior
coral
reefs
at
macro
scale,
which
evolve
over
time
scales
centuries,
can
be
accurately
described
using
a
model
integrates
few
fundamental
ecological
and
physical
mechanisms.
The
displays
excitable
behavior,
generating
various
regimes,
including
traveling
pulses
waves,
lead
to
formation
spatial
structures
similar
those
observed
in
real
reefs.
Notably,
occurs
without
relying
on
pattern
mechanism,
such
as
Turing
scenario.
We
conduct
thorough
analysis
model's
bifurcations
response
two
ecologically
significant
parameters,
laying
foundation
for
explain
reef
formation.
Published
by
American
Physical
Society
2025
Chaos An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
33(3)
Published: March 1, 2023
Spatially
extended
patterns
and
multistability
of
possible
different
states
are
common
in
many
ecosystems,
their
combination
has
an
important
impact
on
dynamical
behaviors.
One
potential
involves
tristability
between
a
patterned
state
two
uniform
states.
Using
simplified
version
the
Gilad-Meron
model
for
dryland
we
study
organization,
bifurcation
terms,
localized
structures
arising
tristable
regimes.
These
generally
related
to
concept
wave
front
locking
appear
form
spots
gaps
vegetation.
We
find
that
coexistence
gaps,
within
configurations,
yields
appearance
hybrid
also
emergence
spatiotemporal
consisting
portion
periodic
pattern
embedded
Hopf-like
oscillatory
background
subcritical
Turing-Hopf
regime.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory),
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Nov. 15, 2024
Abstract
Coral
reefs
are
under
rapid
decline
due
to
human
pressures
such
as
climate
change.
Achieving
the
Kunming-Montreal
Global
Biodiversity
Framework
goals,
which
include
restoring
30%
of
degraded
habitats
like
coral
by
2030,
requires
a
comprehensive
understanding
their
extent
and
structure,
has
been
hitherto
lacking.
We
address
this
limitation
based
on
unprecedented
canonical
inventory
extracted
from
Allen
Atlas
shallow-water
tropical
reefs.
identified
total
1,579,772
individual
globally,
extending
over
52,423
km
2
ocean
area
with
mean
median
sizes
3.32
ha
0.3
ha,
respectively.
unravelled
three
universal
laws
that
common
all
reef
provinces:
size-frequency
distribution,
inter-reef
distance
distribution
area-perimeter
relation,
follow
power
an
exponent
1.8,
2.33
1.26,
demonstrate
develop
fractal
patterns
characterised
perimeter
dimension
D
P
=
1.3
surface
A
1.6.
Our
analysis
shows
display
intricate
fractal-like
geometries
exhibit
macroecological
patterns,
largely
independent
geographical
location.
The
universality
observed
suggests
these
features
possibly
stem
highly
conserved
interactions
biological,
physical,
chemical
processes.
Over
geological
scales,
processes
lead
landscape
among
provinces,
providing
new
information
relevant
growth
modelling.