| Title | A general classification of vegetation dynamics for Chihuahuan Desert management models |
| Publication Type | Conference Proceedings |
| Year of Publication | 2004 |
| Authors | Bestelmeyer BT, Herrick JE, Havstad K, Brown JR |
| Conference Name | Sixth Symposium on the Natural Resources of the Chihuahuan Desert |
| Date Published | 2004 |
| ARIS Log Number | 175622 |
| Abstract | We briefly describe a new conceptual approach to describing vegetation dynamics based on multiple scales of vegetation/soil pattern and processes and cross-scale interactions among grass loss in patches, patch connectivity and sediment/water flux regulation, and climate-forcing functions. This approach is based on a preliminary classification of transitions into five broad classes including: (1) size oscillation of grasses, (2) loss and recolonization of grasses, (3) loss of grasses with replacement by shrubs, (4) spatial reorganization of grass/shrub patches, and (5) cascading grass-shrub transitions that spread from small to broad scales. This classification links spatial and temporal patterns with ecological processes and monitoring strategies. |
Jornada
Science-based management strategies for sustainability of agriculture and other land uses
