Effects of efficient water resource management on vegetation distribution and pattern structures

Desertification is a serious environmental and ecological issue. Vegetation patterns can not only reveal the distribution characteristics and growth laws of vegetation but also provide early warning signals for desertification. In arid and semi-arid regions, where rainfall is limited, improving the utilization rate of water resources is crucial for the growth and distribution of vegetation. This study, based on the Klausmeier model, establishes a vegetation-water model that includes terms for increased infiltration and reduced evaporation was developed. First, the conditions for vegetation pattern formation at equilibrium points were derived using linear stability analysis and the Turing instability theory. Second, the amplitude equation of the model was derived, and the relationship between the model parameters and pattern structures was obtained, using the multi-scale analysis method. Finally, numerical simulations validated the theoretical derivations and investigated the impact of improved water resource utilization on vegetation pattern structures. The results indicate that increasing water resource utilization can induce pattern structure transitions. As water resource utilization increases, vegetation patterns shift from spot to mixed to stripe patterns. This implies an enhancement in the robustness of the vegetation ecosystem, providing significant guidance for desertification control and vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid regions.