Fairy Circle (IMAGE) Princeton University Caption Namibian fairy circles (above) -- round patches of desert sand, 2 to 35 meters (6.5 to 114 feet) in diameter, surrounded by rings of tall grass -- may result from two mechanisms: termite activity and plant self-organization. Termites remove plants to create the bare discs, which increases the moisture content of the soil within the circles. This enables surrounding plants to thrive, producing the characteristic tall rings of grass. The landscape-wide hexagonal layout emerges from territorial warfare between neighboring termite colonies. Credit Photo by Jen Guyton, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.