Flow spatial structure determines pattern instabilities in nonlocal models of population dynamics
Abstract Environmental flows shape spatial patterns and population dynamics; however, we do not fully understand how they influence the onset of pattern formation and population abundance. By combining numerical simulations and analytical approximations, we show that the spatial structure of the flow’s velocity field determines the pattern formation instability in two nonlocal models of population dynamics. For a simple shear flow, where one of the primary axes of the population pattern can align with the flow, the onset of pattern formation remains unaffected. In contrast, a vortex flow delays the pattern instability relative to the no-flow case. The velocity field, therefore, interacts with the spatial feedbacks driving pattern formation in complex ways, which also leads to different oscillatory time series of population abundance. Depending on the flow, population abundance may exhibit regular oscillations with a characteristic frequency or long, erratic transients before settling into a more stable regime.
Authors
- João Pedro Valeriano Miranda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8445-1244)
- Crístobal López (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3445-4284)
- Ricardo Martínez‐García (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2765-8147)
- Nathan O. Silvano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9385-4459)
- Emilio Hernández-Garcı́a (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9568-8287)
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- American Institute for Economic Research (US)
- Aix-Marseille Université (FR)
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems (ES)
- Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (DE)
- Living Systems (United States) (US)
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Communications Physics
- Published
- 2025-08-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02246-3
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.32
Funders
- European Commission
- Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- Sächsisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst
- Instituto Serrapilheira
- ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research
- Agencia Estatal de Investigación