Tree-grass coexistence in savannas: The role of spatial dynamics and climate fluctuations

Ignacio Rodríguez-Iturbe; Paolo D'Odorico; Amilcare Porporato; Luca Ridolfi

doi:10.1029/1998GL900296

Tree-grass coexistence in savannas: The role of spatial dynamics and climate fluctuations

Ignacio Rodríguez-Iturbe, Paolo D'Odorico, Amilcare Porporato, Luca Ridolfi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

82 Scopus citations

Abstract

The codominance of trees and grasses in savannas is explained as resulting from the minimization of vegetation stress. It is shown that under different climate, soil and vegetation conditions local interactions dictated by the spatial competition for soil moisture lead to an optimal state of minimum global water stress involving a stable coexistence of trees and grasses. The optimal state matches the observed canopy cover and soil moisture characteristics. Moreover, changes in canopy cover in the savanna environments are also suggested to result from climate fluctuations.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	247-250
Number of pages	4
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	26
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/1998GL900296
State	Published - Jan 15 1999
Externally published	Yes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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10.1029/1998GL900296

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Tree-grass coexistence in savannas: The role of spatial dynamics and climate fluctuations

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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