Fig. 1: Patchy coastal systems worldwide and conceptual model of the patch-interaction hypothesis.
From: A connectivity threshold between grass patches amplifies coastal dune formation
a Global locations of representative coastal biogeomorphic systems characterized by patchy vegetation distributions in the establishment phase. These include dune systems formed by grasses (Netherlands: 52°59'40“N, 4°43'50“E; 2013; USA: 35°13'48“N, 75°32'46“W; 2017; Australia: 34°19'02“S, 115°11'15“E; 2015), salt marshes formed by succulents (China: 31°37'40“N, 121°50'48“E; 2023), mangroves (India: 21°33'54“N, 87°21'36“E; 2024), and seagrass meadows (France: 47°43'02“N, 3°59'00“W; 2019). Insets from Google Earth (historical imagery dates as indicated): Map data © 2026 Google. Within these systems, patches modulate flows of either wind (dunes) or water (salt marsh, mangrove, seagrass). b Conceptual model illustrating sand trapping by isolated dunes through individual flow modulation. c Conceptual model demonstrating enhanced sand trapping when dune grass patches occur in closer proximity, enabling functional connectivity by modulating flow collectively. Insets in (b, c) show examples of both configurations from drone imagery of the study site.
