In African 'fairy circles,' a template for nature's many patterns

Scientists have long debated how large-scale plant patterns such as the famous "fairy circles" of Namibia form and persist. Now, a new Princeton University-led study suggests that instead of a single overarching cause, large-scale vegetation patterns in arid ecosystems could occasionally stem from millions of local interactions among neighboring plants and animals. The work could explain many patterns throughout the world.

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A new clue in the enduring mystery of Namibia's 'fairy circles