ArticleNature communications2026
A connectivity threshold between grass patches amplifies coastal dune formation.
Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Density-dependent aggregation underlies spatial self-organization in coastal dunes.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Biogeomorphic systems, key providers of ecosystem services, emerge from self-reinforcing feedbacks between landscape-building biota and geomorphic processes. Typically, these feedbacks are considered to operate at an individual patch scale, yet it remains unclear how interactions between patches shape landscapes at larger scales. Here we show how dune-building grasses form functional clusters of interacting patches that strongly amplify engineering capacity. By analyzing a decade of morphological development in an establishing coastal dune system, we discover that dune height is primarily driven by the initial density of neighboring patches, rather than individual patch size. We identify an S-shaped relationship consistent with a spatial percolation threshold: increasing local patch density triggers an abrupt shift from isolated sand-trapping patches to functionally connected clusters that enhance dune growth. This work reveals an important yet overlooked spatial dimension of ecosystem engineering, one that can be harnessed to inform future restoration designs and enhance ecosystem resilience.
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Registered trials
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