Pattern Formation in Mesic Savannas.

Publication Year
2023

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

We analyze a spatially extended version of a well-known model of forest-savanna dynamics, which presents as a system of nonlinear partial integro-differential equations, and study necessary conditions for pattern-forming bifurcations. Homogeneous solutions dominate the dynamics of the standard forest-savanna model, regardless of the length scales of the various spatial processes considered. However, several different pattern-forming scenarios are possible upon including spatial resource limitation, such as competition for water, soil nutrients, or herbivory effects. Using numerical simulations and continuation, we study the nature of the resulting patterns as a function of system parameters and length scales, uncovering subcritical pattern-forming bifurcations and observing significant regions of multistability for realistic parameter regimes. Finally, we discuss our results in the context of extant savanna-forest modeling efforts and highlight ongoing challenges in building a unifying mathematical model for savannas across different rainfall levels.

Journal
Bulletin of mathematical biology
Volume
86
Issue
1
Pages
3
Date Published
11/2023
ISSN Number
1522-9602
Alternate Journal
Bull Math Biol
PMCID
PMC10682166
PMID
38010440