Spatial and temporal scale-dependent feedbacks govern dynamics of biocrusts in drylands.

ABSTRACT: Biota could be ecosystem engineers in generating an intrinsic heterogeneous landscape through scale-dependent feedbacks. Thereby, they can form resource-enriched patchiness or islands of fertility, comprising self-organizing spatial patterns. Research so far has largely focused on the self-organized spatial patterns of plant communities in drylands. It, however, remains unclear whether and how biocrusts having distinct morphology and life history from plant communities could self-organize themselves and form unique spatial patterns. Here, we conducted field observations of biocrusts across successional stages and employed a probabilistic cellular automaton model to investigate the distinct self-organized spatial patterns exhibited by mosaic patches of mosses and lichens with different patc

SUBMITTER: Sun J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12318223 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature