Formation of localized states in dryland vegetation: Bifurcation structure and stability

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates the formation and stability of localized vegetation states near desertification thresholds, revealing bifurcation structures and potential indicators of ecosystem recovery or collapse.

Contribution

It introduces a universal model capturing localized vegetation states and analyzes their bifurcation structure, linking mathematical patterns to ecological resilience.

Findings

Localized gaps and spots of vegetation exist near the Maxwell point.

Gaps may indicate ecosystem recovery potential.

Spots suggest proximity to desertification.

Abstract

In this paper, we study theoretically the emergence of localized states of vegetation close to the onset of desertification. These states are formed through the locking of vegetation fronts, connecting a uniform vegetation state with a bare soil state, which occurs nearby the Maxwell point of the system. To study these structures we consider a universal model of vegetation dynamics in drylands, which has been obtained as the normal form for different vegetation models. Close to the Maxwell point localized gaps and spots of vegetation exist and undergo collapsed snaking. The presence of gaps strongly suggest that the ecosystem may undergo a recovering process. In contrast, the presence of spots may indicate that the ecosystem is close to desertification.