In a naturally occurring ecosystem, vegetation occurs in a patchwork of different community types and age classes (or seral stages). This diversity is important for the health and sustainability of the landscape. These different age classes and their arrangement on the landscape also provide varying uses for humans and for plant and animal communities. The patches occur in an array of shapes, sizes, and arrangements. This complex matrix (or mosaic) is in a constant state of dynamic equilibrium. Natural disturbances such as drought, fire and disease continually modify the landscape by resetting the vegetation cycles. When developing management strategies it is important to produce or enhance this complex vegetation mosaic.
Example of a progression of seral stages
Example of a treatment that created a mosaic pattern on the Uncompahgre Plateau
