Banded vegetation: biological productivity and resilience

Vegetation band patterns on hill slopes are studied using a mathematical model. The model applies to drylands, where the limiting resource is water, and takes into account positive feedback effects between biomass and water. Multiple band patterns coexisting in wide precipitation ranges are found. For given precipitation and slope conditions band patterns with higher wavenumbers are more biologically productive. High-wavenumber patterns, however, are less resilient to environmental changes.