Turing Patterns in Deserts

Abstract. Self-organised patterns of vegetation are a characteristic feature of many semi-arid regions. In particular, banded vegetation is typical on hillsides. Mathematical modelling is widely used to study these banded patterns, because there are no laboratory replicates. I will describe the development of spatial patterns in an established model for banded vegetation via a Turing bifurcation. I will discuss numerical simulations of the phenomenon, and I will summarise nonlinear analysis on the existence and form of spatial patterns as a function of the model parameter that corresponds to mean annual rainfall.