Title:

Exploring common ground for different hypotheses on Namib fairy circles

Author(s):
Publication Year:
2014
Abstract:

The spatial patterns formed by thousands of red-brown fairy circles (FCs) amidst green or yellow Namib Desert grassland offer a majestic landscape view. These FCs are not simply circular gaps in the grass vegetation. Each of these bare circles forms an oasis that stores water in its soil even during extended periods of drought and over many years (Juergens 2013). Together with the surrounding belts of grass they form' fairy circle ecosystems 'that enable perennial life of many organisms thereby increasing biodiversity by one or two magnitudes if compared to the surrounding desert (Juergens 2013). At the same time they are the subject of a scientific puzzle and an ongoing debate on the causation of the circles.

Publication Title:

Ecography

Volume:
10.1111/ecog.01232
Item Type:
Journal Article
Language:
en