Causes and consequences of disordered hyperuniformity in global drylands

Significance Disordered hyperuniformity is a newly defined form of self-organized spatial patterning characterized by the emergence of order on a large scale and a lack of apparent order on a local scale. This study demonstrates its prevalence in dryland ecosystems worldwide. We show that disordered hyperuniformity in plant spatial distributions associates with an enhanced water retention use and expanded range of aridity conditions under which the system can maintain itself. However, this enhanced functionality comes with a trade-off of slower recovery of vegetation structure from disturbances. By uncovering disordered hyperuniformity as a hidden structural mechanism in drylands, this work offers insights into the resilience of some of Earth’s most extensive and fragile ecosystems, with implications for ecological management and sustainability.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

• Publication date

  2025-10-07

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1073/pnas.2504496122PMID 41055984PMCID 12541334
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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