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Australian fairy circles and termite linyji are not caused by the same mechanism

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 8, pages 203–205 (2024)Cite this article

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Matters Arising to this article was published on 02 January 2024

The Original Article was published on 03 April 2023

arising from F. Walsh et al. Nature Ecology & Evolution https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-01994-1 (2023)

In a recent paper, Walsh et al.1 generalize that so-called ‘fairy circles’ are pavement nests occupied by Drepanotermes harvester termites; they do this on the basis of knowledge of Australian First Peoples and short-term fieldwork. Walsh et al.1 refer also to our work2,3,4,5,6,7 focused on a specific vegetation pattern in a small area east of Newman. In this particular ecosystem, we studied and reported the extremely regular, spatially periodic vegetation patterns present—which we termed ‘fairy circles’ (FCs). These FCs are a rare phenomenon and possess specific characteristics only observed in Namibia and in the study area near Newman. With these properties, which we argue are caused by plant self-organization over large distances, they differ in various aspects from the common Drepanotermes termite-induced vegetation gaps, or linyji, that are abundant in Australia but are not spatially periodic.

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Fig. 1: Excavations of FCs.

References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany

    Stephan Getzin

  2. Gobabeb Namib Research Institute, Walvis Bay, Namibia

    Stephan Getzin

  3. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer, Israel

    Hezi Yizhaq

  4. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain

    Miriam Muñoz-Rojas

  5. Centre for Ecosystem Science, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Miriam Muñoz-Rojas

  6. Centre for Engineering Innovation: Agriculture and Ecological Restoration, School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia

    Todd E. Erickson

  7. Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    Todd E. Erickson

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  1. Stephan Getzin
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  2. Hezi Yizhaq
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  3. Miriam Muñoz-Rojas
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  4. Todd E. Erickson
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Contributions

Data for this paper were collected by S.G., H.Y., M.M.-R. and T.E.E. All authors contributed to the writing of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Stephan Getzin.

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Nature Ecology & Evolution thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Getzin, S., Yizhaq, H., Muñoz-Rojas, M. et al. Australian fairy circles and termite linyji are not caused by the same mechanism. Nat Ecol Evol 8, 203–205 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02225-3

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