Vegetationsmuster

Vegetationsmuster, or vegetation patterning, refers to regular spatial arrangements of plant cover in landscapes, such as parallel bands along slopes, circular ring patterns, labyrinthine networks, or patchy mosaics. These patterns occur in arid and semi-arid regions, but also in wetlands and boreal periglacial landscapes, reflecting interactions between vegetation, soil, water, and disturbance.

In arid zones, water is the limiting resource. Vegetation patches enhance infiltration and trap moisture, creating a positive feedback that concentrates growth within patches. Between patches, soil dries and plants are stressed, reinforcing spacing. Negative feedback from resource depletion and edge effects can stabilize regular patterns. The result is self-organization rather than random patchiness. Researchers use field observations and remote sensing, and mathematical models such as reaction-diffusion schemes to explore how climate, slope, and soil properties shape patterns.

Common forms include banded vegetation on hillside slopes, ring-like fairy circles in savannas and deserts, and labyrinth or tiger-bush patterns in parts of Africa. Classic study regions include the Sahel, the Kalahari and Namib deserts, and tropical savannas, as well as patterned peatlands and periglacial landscapes.

Ecological significance: vegetation patterns serve as indicators of ecosystem state and resilience. Changes in pattern scale, connectivity, or regularity can signal stress from drought, grazing, or climate change. Management uses pattern analysis to guide restoration, land-use planning, and monitoring of desertification risk.