Self- organization as a mechanism of resilience in dryland ecosystems

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Kefi, Sonia; Genin, Alexandre; Garcia-Mayor, Angeles; Guirado, Emilio; Cabral, Juliano S.; Berdugo, Miguel; Guerber, Josquin; Sole, Ricard; Maestre, Fernando T.
• 署名单位: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD); Universite de Montpellier; The Santa Fe Institute; University of Wurzburg; Utrecht University; Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile; Complutense University of Madrid; Universitat d'Alacant; University of Birmingham; Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN); Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); Sorbonne Universite; Pompeu Fabra University; ICREA; Pompeu Fabra University; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC); CSIC-UPF - Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (IBE); Universitat d'Alacant
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-10954
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305153121
• 发表日期: 2024-02-06
• 关键词: early-warning signals; feedbacks; patterns; climate; thresholds; indicators; savanna; shifts; STATES; LAW

摘要

Self- organized spatial patterns are a common feature of complex systems, ranging from microbial communities to mussel beds and drylands. While the theoretical implications of these patterns for ecosystem - level processes, such as functioning and resilience, have been extensively studied, empirical evidence remains scarce. To address this gap, we analyzed global drylands along an aridity gradient using remote sensing, field data, and modeling. We found that the spatial structure of the vegetation strengthens as aridity increases, which is associated with the maintenance of a high level of soil multifunctionality, even as aridity levels rise up to a certain threshold. The combination of these results with those of two individual - based models indicate that self- organized vegetation patterns not only form in response to stressful environmental conditions but also provide drylands with the ability to adapt to changing conditions while maintaining their functioning, an adaptive capacity which is lost in degraded ecosystems. Self- organization thereby plays a vital role in enhancing the resilience of drylands. Overall, our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between spatial vegetation patterns and dryland resilience. They also represent a significant step forward in the development of indicators for ecosystem resilience, which are critical tools for managing and preserving these valuable ecosystems in a warmer and more arid world.