In debate over origin of fairy circles, both sides might be right
Weirdly regular bald spots in dry grasslands may arise from both plant and termite competitions
By Susan Milius
Ecologists still don’t believe in fairies. But it may take magic to resolve a long-running debate over what causes the oddly regular spots of bare soil called fairy circles. A new approach now suggests combining the two main hypotheses.
Fairy circles, each among about six close neighbors, sprinkle arid grasslands in southern Africa and Australia “like a polka dot dress,” says ecologist Corina Tarnita of Princeton University. Two persistent ideas fuel debate over what’s making the arrays: stalemate warfare between underground termite colonies (SN Online: 3/28/13) or bigger plants monopolizing water (SN: 4/16/16, p. 8). “What if the reason that this debate is so long-lasting and it’s so hard to dismiss the other hypothesis is that both are right to a certain extent?” Tarnita asks.