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Form and function of grass ring patterns in arid grasslands: the role of abiotic controls

  • Ecosystem Ecology - Original Paper
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Abstract

Ring-shaped growth patterns commonly occur in resource-limited arid and semi-arid environments. The spatial distribution, geometry, and scale of vegetation growth patterns result from interactions between biotic and abiotic processes, and, in turn, affect the spatial patterns of soil moisture, sediment transport, and nutrient dynamics in aridland ecosystems. Even though grass ring patterns are observed worldwide, a comprehensive understanding of the biotic and abiotic processes that lead to the formation, growth and breakup of these rings is still lacking. Our studies on patterns of infiltration and soil properties of blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) grass rings in the northern Chihuahuan desert indicate that ring patterns result from the interaction between clonal growth mechanisms and abiotic factors such as hydrological and aeolian processes. These processes result in a negative feedback between sediment deposition and vegetation growth inside the bunch grass, which leads to grass die back at the center of the grass clump. We summarize these interactions in a simple theoretical and conceptual model that integrates key biotic and abiotic processes in ring formation, growth and decline.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Jennifer Johnson (Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research, New Mexico, USA), Dr Stephen Macko (University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA), Dr. Xiaoping Yang (Chinese Academy of sciences, Beijing, China) and staff at Yosemite National Park (California, USA) for technical guidance. Prof. Luca Ridolfi (Politecnico di Torino, Italy) and Dr Gregory Okin (University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA) have provided useful suggestions for the conceptual model of ring dynamics. This research was supported by NSF awards DEB 743678, DEB 0717360 and EAR 0746228, and the NSF award DEB-0620482 to the University of New Mexico for Long-Term Ecological Research. The experiment complies with the current laws of the United States of America.

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Correspondence to Sujith Ravi.

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Communicated by Alan Knapp.

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Ravi, S., D’Odorico, P., Wang, L. et al. Form and function of grass ring patterns in arid grasslands: the role of abiotic controls. Oecologia 158, 545–555 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-008-1164-1

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