Spatial Pattern Enhances Ecosystem Functioning in an African Savanna

PLoS Biology: Spatial Pattern Enhances Ecosystem Functioning in an African Savanna: "The finding that regular spatial patterns can emerge in nature from local interactions between organisms has prompted a search for the ecological importance of these patterns. Theoretical models have predicted that patterning may have positive emergent effects on fundamental ecosystem functions, such as productivity. We provide empirical support for this prediction. In dryland ecosystems, termite mounds are often hotspots of plant growth (primary productivity)."