However, to date, the implications of fractal geometry to ecology have not been well-explored. Origins of landscape structure One of the obvious sources of landscape structure is human activity. The interaction of geology, climate, and biota create complicated landscapes. The example given in the book is of the soil and vegetation mosaics in the Sonoran Desert. Plant distributions are affected by the soil, which is in turn affected by geologic history and climate.
Biota create structure Plants affect structure by creating soil, eroding rock, etc.
Plants themselves are an obvious source of structure. There is a big difference between a wooded landscape and a marsh, even if the biomass is nearly equal. Animals other than people can also have tremendous impact on structure. Termites build mounds, elephants move through vegetation like bulldozers, prairie dogs once created huge colonies in North America that had much different vegetation than neighboring plains. Fires create vegetation mosaics Fire rarely burns huge uninterrupted swaths across the landscape.