Connectivity in dryland landscapes: shifting concepts of spatial interactions

• Published in: Frontiers in ecology and the environment Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 20 - 27
• Main Authors: Okin, Gregory S, Heras, Mariano Moreno-de las, Saco, Patricia M, Throop, Heather L, Vivoni, Enrique R, Parsons, Anthony J, Wainwright, John, Peters, Debra PC
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.02.2015
• Subjects: animals; arid lands; decision making; ecosystems; land management; landscapes; seed dispersal; soil; soil fertility; soil resources; vegetation; vegetation structure; water; wind
• ISSN: 1540-9295
• DOI: 10.1890/140163

Drylands are often characterized by their patchy vegetation and exposed soil. This structure allows transport of soil resources and propagules through the ecosystem (primarily by wind and water but also by animals), thus making the connectivity for the flow of these materials a key component of ecosystem function in drylands. We argue that, as the fertile island concept before it, the concept of connectivity explains many phenomena observed in drylands. Further, it serves as an organizing principle to understand dryland form and function at scales from the plant-interspace to the landscape. The concept also serves to structure thinking about interactions of processes occurring at different scales, such as when processes occurring at one scale are overridden by processes occurring at another scale. The connectivity framework has practical implications for land management, especially with respect to decision-making concerning the scale and location of production or restoration in the world’s drylands.