Phase-separation physics underlies new theory for the resilience of patchy ecosystems

Spatial self-organization of ecosystems into large-scale (from micron to meters) patterns is an important phenomenon in ecology, enabling organisms to cope with harsh environmental conditions and buffering ecosystem degradation. Scale-dependent feedbacks provide the predominant conceptual framework...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2023-01, Vol.120 (2), p.e2202683120-e2202683120
Main Authors: Siteur, Koen, Liu, Quan-Xing, Rottschäfer, Vivi, van der Heide, Tjisse, Rietkerk, Max, Doelman, Arjen, Boström, Christoffer, van de Koppel, Johan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agglomeration
Animals
Biological Sciences
Bivalvia
Ecosystem
Ecosystem degradation
Ecosystems
Environmental conditions
Herbivores
Mathematical models
Models, Theoretical
Nutrients
Phase separation
Physics
Resilience
Strategic planning
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Summary:Spatial self-organization of ecosystems into large-scale (from micron to meters) patterns is an important phenomenon in ecology, enabling organisms to cope with harsh environmental conditions and buffering ecosystem degradation. Scale-dependent feedbacks provide the predominant conceptual framework for self-organized spatial patterns, explaining regular patterns observed in, e.g., arid ecosystems or mussel beds. Here, we highlight an alternative mechanism for self-organized patterns, based on the aggregation of a biotic or abiotic species, such as herbivores, sediment, or nutrients. Using a generalized mathematical model, we demonstrate that ecosystems with aggregation-driven patterns have fundamentally different dynamics and resilience properties than ecosystems with patterns that formed through scale-dependent feedbacks. Building on the physics theory for phase-separation dynamics, we show that patchy ecosystems with aggregation patterns are more vulnerable than systems with patterns formed through scale-dependent feedbacks, especially at small spatial scales. This is because local disturbances can trigger large-scale redistribution of resources, amplifying local degradation. Finally, we show that insights from physics, by providing mechanistic understanding of the initiation of aggregation patterns and their tendency to coarsen, provide a new indicator framework to signal proximity to ecological tipping points and subsequent ecosystem degradation for this class of patchy ecosystems.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.2202683120