Spatial instabilities untie the exclusion-principle constraint on species coexistence

Abstract

Using a spatially explicit mathematical model for water-limited vegetation we show that spatial instabilities of uniform states can lead to species coexistence under conditions where uniformly distributed species competitively exclude one another. Coexistence is made possible when water-rich patches formed by a pattern forming species provide habitats for a highly dispersive species that is a better competitor in uniform settings.

Keywords: Competitive exclusion; Mathematical modeling; Species coexistence; Species competition; Vegetation patterns.