Phenotypic plasticity: A missing element in the theory of vegetation pattern formation

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 120(50)

Опубликована: Дек. 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.

Язык: Английский

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Plant tropisms as a window on plant computational processes

New Phytologist, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 229(4), С. 1911 - 1916

Опубликована: Ноя. 21, 2020

Summary Plants are living information‐processing organisms with highly adaptive behavior, allowing them to prosper in a harsh and fluctuating environment spite of being sessile. Lacking central nervous system, plants distributed systems orchestrating complex computational processes performed at the tissue level. Here I consider plant tropisms as useful input–output system boasting robust mathematical description, naturally permitting dialogue between modeling biological observations. propose an ideal framework for study processes, us infer relationship observed tropic responses known stimuli. concentrate on macroscopic models, elucidate this approach by presenting recent examples focusing involved different hierarchical levels interactions: plant's interaction itself its internal state, abiotic environment, neighboring plants.

Язык: Английский

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Evolution at the arid extreme: the influence of climate on sand termite colonies and fairy circles of the Namib Desert

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 378(1884)

Опубликована: Июль 10, 2023

In the hyperarid Namib Desert, sand termite Psammotermes allocerus Silvestri, 1908 (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) establishes colonies that create conspicuous, barren patches known as ‘fairy circles' on permeable, sandy soils. The central bare areas of fairy circles serve key function storing moisture received from sparse rainfall. soil texture allows rapid infiltration and percolation precipitation, while localized herbivory by termites creates patch, thereby reducing loss uptake transpiration water plants. resulting storage rain even during prolonged periods drought enables perennial life in desert environments forms a globally unique example ecosystem engineering social insects. During past decade, most publications primarily debated origin circles. Here, we contribute to special issue with focus functional evolutionary dimension structure colony two differing nest types spatially separated resources, successful adaptation extreme environment. paper is review synthesis previous work, inclusion new, relevant findings. This article part theme ‘The ecology nests: cross-taxon approach’.

Язык: Английский

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Can spatial self-organization inhibit evolutionary adaptation?

Journal of The Royal Society Interface, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 22(222)

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2025

Plants often respond to drier climates by slow evolutionary adaptations from fast-growing stress-tolerant species. These increase the plants’ resilience droughts but involve productivity losses that bear on agriculture and food security. also spatial self-organization, through fast vegetation patterning involving differential plant mortality increased water availability surviving plants. The manners in which these two response forms intermingle affect have not been studied. Here we ask: can inhibit undesired adaptation without compromising ecosystem resilience? To address this question, integrate adaptive dynamics pattern-formation theories show less productive, more species over a wide precipitation range while increasing their stress. This homeostasis results high plasticity of patterns, associated with patch thinning dilution, maintains steady local despite decreasing precipitation. Spatial heterogeneity expedites onset induces at an earlier stage adaptation, thereby mitigating loss occurs remains spatially uniform. We conclude discussing our broader context retardation.

Язык: Английский

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Pattern dynamics of a vegetation-water model with saturated effect and diffusion feedback

Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown, С. 130676 - 130676

Опубликована: Май 1, 2025

Язык: Английский

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The existence of localized vegetation patterns in a systematically reduced model for dryland vegetation

Physica D Nonlinear Phenomena, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 412, С. 132637 - 132637

Опубликована: Июнь 29, 2020

In this paper we consider the 2-component reaction-diffusion model that was recently obtained by a systematic reduction of 3-component Gilad et al. for dryland ecosystem dynamics. The nonlinear structure is more involved than other conceptual models, such as extended Klausmeier model, and analysis priori complicated. However, present has strong advantage over these models in it can be directly linked to ecological mechanisms observations. Moreover, find exhibits richness analytically tractable patterns exceeds Klausmeier-type models. Our study focuses on 4-dimensional dynamical system associated with considering traveling waves 1 spatial dimension. We use methods geometric singular perturbation theory establish existence multitude heteroclinic/homoclinic/periodic orbits `jump' between (normally hyperbolic) slow manifolds, representing various kinds localized vegetation patterns. basic 1-front invasion 2-front spot/gap form starting point our have direct interpretation appear naturally simulations model. By exploiting rich construct many multi-front are novel, both from mathematical view. fact, argue orbits/patterns not specific considered here, but will also occur much general (singularly perturbed reaction-diffusion) setting. conclude discussion implications findings.

Язык: Английский

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Linking spatial self-organization to community assembly and biodiversity

eLife, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 10

Опубликована: Сен. 27, 2021

Temporal shifts to drier climates impose environmental stresses on plant communities that may result in community reassembly and threatened ecosystem services, but also trigger self-organization spatial patterns of biota resources, which act relax these stresses. The complex relationships between counteracting processes – have hardly been studied. Using a spatio-temporal model dryland trait-based approach, we study the response such increasing water-deficit stress. We first show patterning acts reverse from fast-growing species stress-tolerant species, as well functional-diversity loss. then buffers impact further stress structure. Finally, identify multistability ranges uniform patterned states use them propose forms non-uniform management integrate need for provisioning services with preserve

Язык: Английский

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Travelling pulses on three spatial scales in a Klausmeier-type vegetation-autotoxicity model

Nonlinearity, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 37(9), С. 095008 - 095008

Опубликована: Июль 18, 2024

Abstract Reaction-diffusion models describing interactions between vegetation and water reveal the emergence of several types patterns travelling wave solutions corresponding to structures observed in real-life. Increasing their accuracy by also considering ecological factor known as autotoxicity has lead more involved supporting existence complex dynamic patterns. In this work, we include an additional carrying capacity for biomass a Klausmeier-type vegetation-water-autotoxicity model, which induces presence two asymptotically small parameters: ɛ , representing usual scale separation vegetation-water models, δ directly linked autotoxicity. We construct three separate homoclinic pulse based on different scaling regimes involving with without so-called superslow plateau . The relative ordering parameters significantly influences phase space geometry underlying construction solutions. complement analysis numerical continuation constructed solutions, demonstrate (and stability) direct simulation full partial differential equation model.

Язык: Английский

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Slow passage through the Busse balloon – predicting steps on the Eckhaus staircase

European Journal of Applied Mathematics, Год журнала: 2024, Номер unknown, С. 1 - 26

Опубликована: Апрель 16, 2024

Abstract Motivated by the impact of worsening climate conditions on vegetation patches, we study dynamic instabilities in an idealised Ginzburg–Landau model. Our main results predict time instances sudden drops wavenumber and resulting target states. The changes correspond to annihilation individual patches when resources are scarce cannot support original number patches. Drops happen well after primary pattern has destabilised at Eckhaus boundary key distinguishing between disappearance 1,2 or more during drop complex spatio-temporal resonances linearisation unstable pattern. We our with numerical simulations expect be conceptually applicable universally near boundary, particular realistic models.

Язык: Английский

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A new reaction-diffusion-advection model with long-range inhibition for vegetation-desertification pattern-formation as a unified approach

Ecological Modelling, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 492, С. 110722 - 110722

Опубликована: Апрель 26, 2024

Язык: Английский

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