A slow march through the desert

Description

2016 Fourth Place This image shows shrublands in Somalia from high above. Two images from 1952 (purple) and 2006 (green) are overlaid here for comparison. The colors highlight the large communities of shrubs and grasses which grow in bands along this sloping landscape. Over the fifty years shown here, all the vegetation has moved uphill - the green bands of modern plant growth are further up the hillside than the purple bands from 1952. This is clear visual evidence that ecosystems like this change over time. Mathematician Karna Gowda measures and models these changes to understand how these dynamic ecosystems function and change.

Abstract

This image originally appeared as part of Northwestern's Scientific Images Contest. The contest and subsequent exhibitions are organized by Science in Society, the university's research center for science education and public engagement. Further information and opportunities to participate are available on their website. Prints and canvas editions of these Northwestern research images can also be purchased online (with the small net profit going to science education and outreach programming in the Chicago area).

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