Strong interaction between plants induces circular barren patches: Fairy circles

C. Fernandez-Oto; M. Tlidi; D. Escaff; M. G. Clerc

doi:10.1098/rsta.2014.0009

Strong interaction between plants induces circular barren patches: Fairy circles

C. Fernandez-Oto, M. Tlidi, D. Escaff, M. G. Clerc

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53 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fairy circles consist of isolated or randomly distributed circular areas devoid of any vegetation. They are observed in vast territories in southern Angola, Namibia and South Africa. We report on the formation of fairy circles, and we interpret them as localized structures with a varying plateau size as a function of the aridity. Their stabilization mechanism is attributed to a combined influence of the bistability between the bare state and the uniformly vegetation state, and Lorentzian-like nonlocal coupling that models the competition between plants. We show how a circular shape is formed, and how the aridity level influences the size of fairy circles. Finally, we show that the proposed mechanism is model-independent.

Original language	English
Article number	0009
Journal	Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Volume	372
Issue number	2027
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0009
State	Published - 28 Oct 2014
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Fairy circles
Localized structures
Population dynamics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Mathematics
General Engineering
General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1098/rsta.2014.0009

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title = "Strong interaction between plants induces circular barren patches: Fairy circles",

abstract = "Fairy circles consist of isolated or randomly distributed circular areas devoid of any vegetation. They are observed in vast territories in southern Angola, Namibia and South Africa. We report on the formation of fairy circles, and we interpret them as localized structures with a varying plateau size as a function of the aridity. Their stabilization mechanism is attributed to a combined influence of the bistability between the bare state and the uniformly vegetation state, and Lorentzian-like nonlocal coupling that models the competition between plants. We show how a circular shape is formed, and how the aridity level influences the size of fairy circles. Finally, we show that the proposed mechanism is model-independent.",

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AU - Fernandez-Oto, C.

AU - Tlidi, M.

AU - Escaff, D.

AU - Clerc, M. G.

PY - 2014/10/28

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N2 - Fairy circles consist of isolated or randomly distributed circular areas devoid of any vegetation. They are observed in vast territories in southern Angola, Namibia and South Africa. We report on the formation of fairy circles, and we interpret them as localized structures with a varying plateau size as a function of the aridity. Their stabilization mechanism is attributed to a combined influence of the bistability between the bare state and the uniformly vegetation state, and Lorentzian-like nonlocal coupling that models the competition between plants. We show how a circular shape is formed, and how the aridity level influences the size of fairy circles. Finally, we show that the proposed mechanism is model-independent.

AB - Fairy circles consist of isolated or randomly distributed circular areas devoid of any vegetation. They are observed in vast territories in southern Angola, Namibia and South Africa. We report on the formation of fairy circles, and we interpret them as localized structures with a varying plateau size as a function of the aridity. Their stabilization mechanism is attributed to a combined influence of the bistability between the bare state and the uniformly vegetation state, and Lorentzian-like nonlocal coupling that models the competition between plants. We show how a circular shape is formed, and how the aridity level influences the size of fairy circles. Finally, we show that the proposed mechanism is model-independent.

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KW - Population dynamics

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Strong interaction between plants induces circular barren patches: Fairy circles

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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