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What Fairy Circles Teach Us About Science

What Fairy Circles Teach Us About Science

August 27, 2015

Desert & Water Research

Science News — When viewed individually, fairy circles aren’t generally enough to raise eyebrows.

But when viewed from above, where their sheer numbers and seemingly manmade precision can be truly appreciated, it can be easy to see why these strange patches of dry land marking the otherwise fertile deserts of Namibia have been intriguing researchers for years.

A single fairy circle in the desert

A single fairy circle in the desert

Now, new data from Ben-Gurion University aims to solve one of nature’s greatest enigmas.

At a recent meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Baltimore, BGU Ph.D. student Yuval Zelnik expounded on his theory that these barren rings are the direct result of competition among desert plants for precious water.

“In times of drought, when competition for moisture is high, the bare patches grow. When regular rain patterns return, new circles form. In times of heavy rain, where there is plenty of moisture for all the plants, competition lessens and the gaps shrink.”

Another leading theory explaining the cultivation and dynamism of fairy circles — that they are the consequence of sand termites interacting with the soil — has been popular among ecologists for several years.

Zelnik’s research, however, presented using a simulation that reproduced the life cycle of fairy circles in response to changes in precipitation, casts a stone in favor of the plant competition theory, one that has been gaining significant traction in the scientific community.

Scientists may never come to a full consensus on the origin of fairy circles, but thanks to Zelnik’s groundbreaking work, they are closer than ever before.

Read more on the Science News website >>