A Synthetic Overview of Lamto Savanna Ecology: Importance of Structure-Functioning-Dynamics Relationships

20.7 Conclusion

Development of new modeling approaches designed to correctly account for structure-functioning-dynamics relationships is obviously a priority for future ecological research on the Lamto savanna, both in the specialized direction (models adapted to treat the problems of savanna ecosystems) and in the generalized direction (i.e., generalizing the concepts to broaden the spectrum of possible ecosystem representations). Such studies should analyze how spatial organization influences exchanges between the ecosystem and the atmosphere, and how spatial organization can be a major ecosystem characteristic to resist disturbances.

Indeed, spatial organization is a key component for the functioning and dynamics of Lamto savannas: through their space occupation strategy at two scales (individual: plant architecture; and populational: distribution of individuals), trees and grasses modify the local environment that they experience, concentrate nutrient resources, create facilitation areas for their own group and create spots of risk to other groups. The most important lesson gained thus that heterogeneity is not a “complexity” or “difficulty” that we have to cope with when studying savanna ecology (i.e., heterogeneity as a constraint to represent and understand ecosystem behavior). Actually, spatial organization, rather than heterogeneity, is a key characteristic of the ecosystem that has to be fully taken into account as resulting from and influencing biological processes and ecosystem behavior (i.e., control of space occupation as a major adaptive mechanism to environment unpredictability).