# A general model for vegetation patterns including rhizome growth

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive mathematical model for vegetation patterns that incorporates rhizome-driven clonal growth, capturing the key mechanisms behind spatial self-organization in vegetation.

## Contribution

It presents a new general equation for vegetation density that includes all main features of clonal growth, unifying various mechanisms into a single framework.

## Key findings

- Reproduces the phase diagram of detailed clonal growth models
- Links model terms to specific biological mechanisms
- Provides a unified approach to vegetation pattern formation

## Abstract

Vegetation patterns, a natural phenomenon observed worldwide, are typically driven by spatially distributed feedback. However, the spatial colonization mechanisms of clonal plants, driven by the growth of a rhizome, are usually not considered in prototypical models. Here we propose a general equation for the vegetation density that includes all main clonal-growth features as well as the essential ingredients leading to spatial self-organization. This generic model reproduces the phase diagram of a fully detailed model of clonal growth. The relation of each term of the model with the mechanisms of clonal growth is discussed.