Spatial distribution of Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana in vegetation stripes of the southern Chihuahuan Desert

Mosaics consisting of vegetation stripes surrounded by bare areas have been described in several arid and semiarid ecosystems. The dynamics of the system depends on the redistribution of rainwater which is preferentially stored and evapotranspired in the vegetated stripes. A process of plant `colonization' in the upslope fringe of the stripes has been described in some cases and a consequent upslope migration of the stripes has been inferred, but not confirmed in all cases quoted in the literature. In this paper, we studied the spatial distribution of mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana) and the soil parameters in three vegetation stripes and their associated bare areas in the southern Chihuahuan Desert. The spatial distribution of mesquites of different sizes do not coincide with that expected under the hypothesis of an uniform upslope stripe migration, but soil data suggest that current bare areas had been vegetated some time ago. Dispersion and establishment abilities enhanced by overgrazing may explain the observed mesquite distribution, but the presence of trees with high basal diameters in any part of the stripes suggests stripe permanence at the same site and no upslope migration. These results point to the conflicting evidence on stripe migration that has been already found in other areas. The most probable scenario in our study area is that of a general long-term change of form of the stripes taking place at very variable speeds in different stripes, including the possibility that some of them remain stationary for prolonged periods, and showing different histories of colonization according to the life-history of the different species concerned. The speed and regularity of the process would show a very high temporal and spatial variability due to the interaction of climatic, geomorphologic and biotic interactions.