#FairyCicles #Namibia
##MisterySolved
#ВедьминыКруги #Намибия
Mystery solved? #FairyCiclesNamibia
Scientists
claim that the "fairy cycles" in Namibia, which remain one of the major
mysteries of biology, are due to self-organization of grass. This hypothesis is proved, based on the same phenomenon discovered in Western Australia. Discovery has been reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences magazine.
Namibian "fairy circles" are located about the same distance from each other circles of bare soil surrounded by grass. There are these formations in arid areas of Namibia, and scientists continue to argue about their nature.
Stephan Getzin and his colleagues have found a similar
three-dimensional structures in one of the parts of Australia - all the
circles inherent in the placement of hexagons on a scale of less than 50
meters, as well as uniform distribution in space over large scales. Contrary to the basic theory of the origin of "fairy ring" linking
them with the activities of termites, researchers found that in
Australia they arise through self-organization.
Field
studies, remote shooting, mathematical and spatial modeling indicated
the positive feedback between the biomass and precipitation. According to scientists, the theory of regular shapes (patterns) in Nature describes the movement of water in arid ecosystems. Precipitation
falling on clearing, flow to the surrounding grass and stimulate its
growth, which eventually leads to the reproduction of structures. This process does not depend on the species composition of the grass and the soil type.
In
Namibia, (as well as in some areas of Angola and South Africa) fairy circles are
found in areas with a minimum of variety of species - so that they
noticed in Namibia among Stipagrostis genus of plants. Until recently, the most influential hypothesis that explains the origin of the "fairy ring" was considered a thermite. Its
proponents argue that termites Psammotermes allocerus trying to thus
create favorable environmental conditions for themselves.
