title: Noise-induced stability in dryland plant ecosystems.
abstract: Dryland plant ecosystems tend to exhibit bistable dynamics with two preferential configurations of bare and vegetated soils. Climate fluctuations are usually believed to act as a source of disturbance on these ecosystems and to reduce their stability and resilience. In contrast, this work shows that random interannual fluctuations of precipitation may lead to the emergence of an intermediate statistically stable condition between the two stable states of the deterministic dynamics of vegetation. As a result, there is an enhancement of ecosystem resilience and a decrease in the likelihood of catastrophic shifts to the desert state.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Box 400123, University of Virginia, 291 McCormick Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA. paolo@virginia.edu
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Odorico
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Laio
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ridolfi
mesh_terms: D001699:Biometry; D002980:Climate; D017753:Ecosystem; D005246:Feedback; D010944:Plants; D011891:Rain; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D012987:Soil