Spatial dynamics of a vegetation model with uptake–diffusion feedback in an arid environment

Phenotypic plasticity: A missing element in the theory of vegetation pattern formation

“…At lower precipitation, a morphological change to stripe and labyrinth patterns takes place, as bare-soil gaps grow and merge to form stripes. At yet lower precipitation, another morphological change to hexagonal spot patterns occurs, as vegetation stripes break into spots ( 25 – 29 ). These vegetation patterns survive drier conditions than uniform vegetation because they benefit from an additional source of water besides direct rainfall—the water plants draw from nearby bare-soil areas through various forms of lateral water transport ( 24 ).…”