Formation of banded vegetation patterns resulted from interactions between sediment deposition and vegetation growth |
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Authors: | Tousheng Huang Huayong Zhang Liming Dai Xuebing Cong Shengnan Ma |
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Affiliation: | 1. Research Center for Engineering Ecology and Nonlinear Science, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, PR China;2. Industrial Systems Engineering, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada |
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Abstract: | This research investigates the formation of banded vegetation patterns on hillslopes affected by interactions between sediment deposition and vegetation growth. The following two perspectives in the formation of these patterns are taken into consideration: (a) increased sediment deposition from plant interception, and (b) reduced plant biomass caused by sediment accumulation. A spatial model is proposed to describe how the interactions between sediment deposition and vegetation growth promote self-organization of banded vegetation patterns. Based on theoretical and numerical analyses of the proposed spatial model, vegetation bands can result from a Turing instability mechanism. The banded vegetation patterns obtained in this research resemble patterns reported in the literature. Moreover, measured by sediment dynamics, the variation of hillslope landform can be described. The model predicts how treads on hillslopes evolve with the banded patterns. Thus, we provide a quantitative interpretation for coevolution of vegetation patterns and landforms under effects of sediment redistribution. |
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Keywords: | Hillslope landform Vegetation pattern formation Banded patterns Turing instability Geomorphic processes |
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