An analysis of vegetation stripe formation in semi-arid landscapes

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150 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Vegetation stripes ("tiger bush") are a characteristic feature of semi-arid environments. The stripes typically lie along the contours of gentle slopes, and some authors report a gradual uphill migration. A previous mathematical model (Klausmeier, Science, 284:1826, 1999) has shown that this phenomenon can be explained relatively simply by the downhill flow of rainwater coupled with the diffusive spread of the plant population. This paper presents a detailed analysis of pattern formation in the Klausmeier model. The author derives formulae for the wavelength and migration speed of the predicted patterns, and systematically investigates how these depend on model parameters. The results make new predictions and suggest possible approaches to testing the model. © Springer-Verlag 2005.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)183-197
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Mathematical Biology
Volume51
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2005

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