In the past decade, theoretical ecologists have emphasized
that local interactions between predators and prey may invoke
emergent spatial patterning at larger spatial scales. However, empirical
evidence for the occurrence of emergent spatial patterning is
scarce, which questions the relevance of the proposed mechanisms
to ecological theory. We report on regular spatial patterns in young
mussel beds on soft sediments in the Wadden Sea. We propose that
scale-dependent feedback, resulting from short-range facilitation by
mutual protection from waves and currents and long-range competition
for algae, induces spatial self-organization, thereby providing
a possible explanation for the observed patterning. The emergent
self-organization affects the functioning of mussel bed ecosystems
by enhancing productivity and resilience against disturbance. Moreover,
self-organization allows mussels to persist at algal concentrations
that would not permit survival of mussels in a homogeneous
bed. Our results emphasize the importance of self-organization in
affecting the emergent properties of natural systems at larger spatial
scales
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