Creation and preservation of vegetation patterns by grazing

A. Maarten Mouissie, M. Emile F. Apol, Gerrit W. Heil and Rudy van Diggelen

Ecological Modelling, 2008, vol. 218, issue 1, 60-72

Abstract: Structural patterns of tall stands (“tussock”) and short stands (“lawn”) are observed in grazed vegetation throughout the world. Such structural vegetation diversity influences plant and animal diversity. A possible mechanism for the creation and preservation of such patterns is a positive feedback between grazing and plant palatability. Although some theoretical studies have addressed this point in a non-spatial setting, the spatial consequences of this feedback mechanism on the stability and spatial characteristics of vegetation structure patterns have not been studied.

Keywords: Functional response; Grazing; Micropatterns; Optimal foraging; Pattern analysis; Ruminants; Scaling laws; Spatially explicit model; Lévy-flight (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:218:y:2008:i:1:p:60-72

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2008.06.018

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