Synthetic soil crusts against green-desert transitions: a spatial model
Semiarid ecosystems are threatened by global warming due to longer dehydration times and increasing soil degradation. Mounting evidence indicates that, given the current trends, drylands are likely to expand and possibly experience catastrophic shifts from vegetated to desert states. Here, we explor...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.200161 |
| _version_ | 1818480423294992384 |
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| author | Blai Vidiella Josep Sardanyés Ricard V. Solé |
| author_facet | Blai Vidiella Josep Sardanyés Ricard V. Solé |
| author_sort | Blai Vidiella |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Semiarid ecosystems are threatened by global warming due to longer dehydration times and increasing soil degradation. Mounting evidence indicates that, given the current trends, drylands are likely to expand and possibly experience catastrophic shifts from vegetated to desert states. Here, we explore a recent suggestion based on the concept of ecosystem terraformation, where a synthetic organism is used to counterbalance some of the nonlinear effects causing the presence of such tipping points. Using an explicit spatial model incorporating facilitation and considering a simplification of states found in semiarid ecosystems including vegetation, fertile and desert soil, we investigate how engineered microorganisms can shape the fate of these ecosystems. Specifically, two different, but complementary, terraformation strategies are proposed: Cooperation-based: C-terraformation; and Dispersion-based: D-terraformation. The first strategy involves the use of soil synthetic microorganisms to introduce cooperative loops (facilitation) with the vegetation. The second one involves the introduction of engineered microorganisms improving their dispersal capacity, thus facilitating the transition from desert to fertile soil. We show that small modifications enhancing cooperative loops can effectively modify the aridity level of the critical transition found at increasing soil degradation rates, also identifying a stronger protection against soil degradation by using the D-terraformation strategy. The same results are found in a mean-field model providing insights into the transitions and dynamics tied to these terraformation strategies. The potential consequences and extensions of these models are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:23:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-949f905a4f2648d4959f31e2f0361b22 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:23:24Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-949f905a4f2648d4959f31e2f0361b222022-12-22T01:50:50ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032020-08-017810.1098/rsos.200161200161Synthetic soil crusts against green-desert transitions: a spatial modelBlai VidiellaJosep SardanyésRicard V. SoléSemiarid ecosystems are threatened by global warming due to longer dehydration times and increasing soil degradation. Mounting evidence indicates that, given the current trends, drylands are likely to expand and possibly experience catastrophic shifts from vegetated to desert states. Here, we explore a recent suggestion based on the concept of ecosystem terraformation, where a synthetic organism is used to counterbalance some of the nonlinear effects causing the presence of such tipping points. Using an explicit spatial model incorporating facilitation and considering a simplification of states found in semiarid ecosystems including vegetation, fertile and desert soil, we investigate how engineered microorganisms can shape the fate of these ecosystems. Specifically, two different, but complementary, terraformation strategies are proposed: Cooperation-based: C-terraformation; and Dispersion-based: D-terraformation. The first strategy involves the use of soil synthetic microorganisms to introduce cooperative loops (facilitation) with the vegetation. The second one involves the introduction of engineered microorganisms improving their dispersal capacity, thus facilitating the transition from desert to fertile soil. We show that small modifications enhancing cooperative loops can effectively modify the aridity level of the critical transition found at increasing soil degradation rates, also identifying a stronger protection against soil degradation by using the D-terraformation strategy. The same results are found in a mean-field model providing insights into the transitions and dynamics tied to these terraformation strategies. The potential consequences and extensions of these models are discussed.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.200161synthetic biologyecological engineeringclimate changecatastrophic shiftsmutualismsynthetic ecology |
| spellingShingle | Blai Vidiella Josep Sardanyés Ricard V. Solé Synthetic soil crusts against green-desert transitions: a spatial model Royal Society Open Science synthetic biology ecological engineering climate change catastrophic shifts mutualism synthetic ecology |
| title | Synthetic soil crusts against green-desert transitions: a spatial model |
| title_full | Synthetic soil crusts against green-desert transitions: a spatial model |
| title_fullStr | Synthetic soil crusts against green-desert transitions: a spatial model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Synthetic soil crusts against green-desert transitions: a spatial model |
| title_short | Synthetic soil crusts against green-desert transitions: a spatial model |
| title_sort | synthetic soil crusts against green desert transitions a spatial model |
| topic | synthetic biology ecological engineering climate change catastrophic shifts mutualism synthetic ecology |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.200161 |
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