Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) are a long-lived reptile vulnerable to predation by many predators, including desert kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis arsipus) and coyotes (Canis latrans). From 2009 to 2014, we assessed canid food habits at a study site in the Mojave Desert in California, USA, by collecting and analyzing desert kit fox and coyote scats. These canids primarily consumed small mammals

Goats at high densities are known to degrade vegetation in arid environments around the world. Their role as potential dispersers of seeds of native and exotic plant species, however, still remains uncertain. This study assesses whether goats, through endozoochorous seed dispersal, may potentially change the plant assemblage of seasonally dry tropical forests. We used seedling emergence as a method

The Colorado River has significantly diminished its drainage area and annual discharge. Today it flows across several provinces of Argentina (Neuquén, Mendoza, La Pampa, Río Negro and Buenos Aires) although during the Upper Pleistocene this watershed area was more extended. Its discharge also diminished significantly during documented times although floods occurred episodically during anomalous ENSO

In this paper, a new approach for mapping polygenic depressions colonised by vegetation is presented. These spatially periodic vegetation patterns situated in the arid areas of North Africa are known locally as "Dayas". The mapping of these structures is an important component in monitoring their evolution which can be regarded as an indicator of socio-environmental conditions. For this purpose, a

Knowledge of species diversity is essential for ecological research and conservation planning, especially in overlooked ecosystems, such as the Sechura desert (SD) and the Tumbesian dry forest (DF) of Peru and Ecuador. Little is known about mammal richness in these Threatened ecosystems and thus, we quantified the richness of medium to large-sized mammals within and outside of protected areas. We used

Levels of water access provided by sand dams were assessed by measuring water presence and use in a representative sample of 97 dams in Kenya. Most dams were filled with sediment capable of holding water, with a 25% median reduction of water capacity due to siltation when using a high estimate for sediment specific yield. Multiple sediment cores taken from each dam indicated the presence of water in

We determine the long-term growth rate and longevity of an Azorella compacta growing on Misti volcano, near Arequipa, Peru to investigate the species' capacity as a geochronological resource. Using 14C dating on stem pieces sequestered within the plant's cushion, which grows larger through time, we obtain ages of 15 ± 15 14C yrs BP and 165 ± 15 14C yrs BP at depths of 15 cm and 29 cm below the cushion's

This paper is a first attempt to compute the total water needs of an agricultural plain with remote sensing and ground data in Iran. The cropping areas were mapped with Sentinels-2 images, based on NDVI profiles classification. This model was validated and 85% of the areas were correctly classified. Second, the crop water needs were computed using PYSEBAL and Landsat-8 images. Crop evapotranspiration

Soils in arid and infra-arid regions of Tunisia (where rainfall does not exceed 180 mm) suffer from rapid degradation of vegetation cover and loss of biodiversity. To limit the progress of desertification, it is necessary to promote the cultivation of autochthonous plants and particularly legumes, pioneer plants used for the restoration of poor soils. 50 strains were isolated from soils of five locations

The conversion of cropland to plantation is important ecological engineering in the Loess Plateau, China. Moreover, the extent of cropland abandonment and fallow is gradually increasing in this area, which probably affects the soil bacterial composition. Therefore, we applied Illumina MiSeq sequencing targeting the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to analyze the bacterial community from different

The Mongolian marmot (Marmota sibirica) is a relatively large-bodied, social rodent that lives in colonies across the Mongolian steppes and parts of China and Russia. Marmots serve as ecosystem engineers that display multiple functions on the steppe environments they inhabit. Mongolian marmots experienced a >75% decline across Mongolia in the 1990s that led their listing as endangered globally. The

A distributed hydrological energy-water-balance model (FEST-EWB) is calibrated over the Heihe Basin, a mainly desertic basin in China, employing remotely-sensed Land Surface Temperature (LST) (MODIS, 1-km resolution) as calibration variable. This approach overcomes the problem of model parameters characterization, which are usually difficult to define especially over large basins, allowing a pixel-by-pixel

In view of the scenario of global warming, understanding how individuals disperse and populations fluctuate in response to climatic extremes is becoming increasingly important. Thereby, we used a capture-mark-recapture approach on Columbina minuta and Columbina picui in two Caatinga physiognomies (shrubby-woodland and savanna) during and following a prolonged drought in northeastern Brazil. We evaluated

This study aims to implement the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) concept on a test site: the 309 km2 Nahr Ibrahim watershed Lebanon, by integrating soil erosion as an LDN indicator given its status as a land degradation driver and common concern of the Mediterranean region. Land degradation was mapped, and erosion risk maps were also established. Through LDN's response strategy, an alternative LDN

Geodiversity effects on ecosystem productivity were investigated using remotely sensed data and a mathematical model, by introducing a spatially non-uniform surface-water infiltration. Two hillslope types, with different geodiversity levels, as determined by the soil depth and stoniness, were selected for this study. Low-geodiversity hillslopes (‘homogenous hillslopes’) were identified by their dense

When selecting optimal habitats, animals should rely on detecting environmental cues that indicate the suitability of a given site. In fossorial animals, restrictions of the underground environment might limit the opportunities for habitat selection. However, field observations of some fossorial amphisbaenian reptiles indicate that microhabitat occupancy is not random. This might simply result from

Small-scale dairy production plays a relevant socioeconomic role contributing to improve food security in low income rural settings, such as semiarid Brazil. Milk is mainly supplied to local communities, either distributed by government programs to schools and day-care units, or commercialized privately to final consumers or cheesemakers. However, there is a lack of information about the potential

Wind regime is typically highly variable in space and in time, and the studies of aeolian geomorphology often use a single meteorological station as representative of a specific dune field due to the scarcity of meteorological stations in remote areas. However, the wind regime may vary greatly even between sites located just a few kilometers apart. In this study, to fully understand the relationship

At the end of December 2009, larvae of Casama innotata were observed on Vachellia horrida trees on which it caused a considerable defoliation. In November 2015, a new outbreak was detected. Egg batches and pupae were observed on V. horrida and the native species Hammada scoparia. This work contributes at studying some biological aspects of this insect, on two host species V. horrida and H. scoparia

Tropical dry forests (TDF) are one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, especially in Colombia. One way to promote TDF conservation is by upholding the valuation of the ecosystem services they provide. Therefore, in order to deepen the understanding regarding the conservation of TDF from the perspective of local communities, we sampled two populations for our analysis: the first one consisted

Differences in microhabitat use can lead to habitat segregation that reduces competition. We studied the natural history, activity, and microhabitat use of Turner's Thick-toed Gecko (Chondrodactylus turneri) and the Common Namib Day Gecko (Rhoptropus afer) in the Namib Desert. Both species were associated with the same rocky habitat but exhibited differences in activity (i.e., times of day when visible

Savanna is one of the main African ecosystems. The tree community in the savanna is a key element and provides many ecosystem services. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) combined with photogrammetric analysis are useful tools to produce accurate 3D maps, which, in turn, help describe the structure of the tree populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of commercial economical UAVs

Landslides are geomorphological processes that consist in the mobilization of ground, rocks, debris, and mud downslope that cause local erosion problems. The eroded materials can be transported downstream, which implies an additional environmental risk that might lead to catastrophic and significant economic and human losses. Rainfall is usually the main triggering factor for landslides occurrence

Drylands functioning depends on water fluxes and the retention of resources. The restoration of degraded areas should mimic the natural arrangement of vegetation in the landscape in a source-sink pattern. Reintroducing key woody seedlings through planting is a major concern in ecological restoration as these areas often exceed degradation thresholds and ecosystem functions are limited. However, it

The paper focusses on the impact on dryland ecosystems of conflicting governance in the regulations of land use, water for irrigation and electric energy from photovoltaic installations (PV). The research uses the empirical results of a panel data model based on long time series that enable sensitivity of the main crops to energy cost and the viability of the solar panel system connected to the grid

The present study deals with the hydrology of two adjoining watersheds, located in an area where average annual rainfall is ~280 mm. One watershed is located in a loess covered area, and the second in a rocky area. Hydrological data collected in the loess area point to a very high frequency of channel flow. However, even in extreme rain events, peak discharges are extremely low, pointing to a limited

The ecology of wildlife in remote arid regions with free-range livestock farming activities remains largely unexplored. We studied the temporal activity patterns of African leopards (Panthera pardus) in relation to prey in Namaqualand, South Africa, a semi-desert ecosystem with extensive livestock farming and a protected area. Camera trapping in winter and summer 2014–2015 (n = 95 stations) showed

In the lower basin of the Colorado River (Buenos Aires province, Argentina) the Zoko Andi 1 archaeological site was occupied by hunter-gatherer groups during the Late Holocene (ca. 1500–400 14C years BP). The site is the only one in the entire study area that has an important presence of charcoals in a stratigraphic context, particularly related to the Lower Component, dated at ca. 1500–1300 14C years

The episodic, seasonal hydrology of Lake Eyre Basin (LEB) rivers produce a series of waterholes which provide critical aquatic refugia and essential water supply during predominantly dry periods. This study used direct measures of water loss, regional meteorological data, and waterhole bathymetry to develop calibrated waterhole persistence models in a range of waterhole types throughout the Queensland

Increasing extremes in climate related weather events pose a major threat to plant recruitment in drylands. Research has shown facilitation effects by shrubs to improve recruitment in arid regions, however it remains unclear if these effects vary between soil types, early life stages and in both severe precipitation and drought events. We test if shrubs facilitate abundance of both seedlings and juveniles

North American sagebrush-steppe bunchgrasses primarily establish from seed; however, the importance of parental plant carbon from flag leaves or within the seed head itself to reproduction in perennial bunchgrasses is unknown. To address this, we experimentally removed flag leaves and shaded seed heads to assess their importance to reproduction in the exotic bunchgrass crested wheatgrass (Agropyron

Echinocactus platycanthus is a remarkable globular cacti that can reach sizes up to 2 m in diameter, and is known for its high tolerance to salt stress, as they inhabit arid environments where salinity is prominent. Understanding the early developmental events of salt tolerance and stress responses will help understand how seedlings establish in arid environments. Thus, we asked how E. platyacanthus

This study investigates soil stabilization through two soil strengthening techniques, specifically; Bio-cementation through Microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP) and Bio-polymerization using Xanthan gum for aeolian erosion control applications. The performances of these techniques were evaluated in terms of improvement in Threshold friction velocity (TFV), soil mass loss (%), and soil crust

Drylands are of great significance on terrestrial ecosystems and economic development, while being sensitive to climate changes and human activities. How global drylands extent and climate changed is not clear, and the dominant factor is the dispute over enhanced air evaporative demand and insufficient precipitation. This study attempted to fill this gap by exploring the trends in dryland areas, aridity

The Soil Crust International (SCIN) project was a multidisciplinary attempt to obtain a complete understanding of biocrusts communities across Europe, including among the monitored locations the Tabernas badlands in Spain, the driest habitat in the whole continent. Here we provide an overview in a Mini-Review format of our research about the functional performance of the more relevant biocrust forming

Invertebrate communities occupying hypolithic habitats at the rock-soil interface are diverse and can contribute significantly to ecosystem functioning, especially in arid environments. However, these communities are poorly understood. We tested three hypotheses of processes that may structure these communities, these reflecting species-area relationships, microclimate refuges and the effects of predation

Frankincense, gum arabic and myrrh are among the most valuable commercial non-timber forest products in the drylands of eastern Africa. This study examines the frankincense value chain and its contribution to the household economy in southern Ethiopia. The study applied a combination of sustainable livelihood and value chain framework to assess the values and the contribution of frankincense to household

The emergence of North American grasslands occurred no earlier than the postglacial period. As a key species, Bouteloua gracilis has been widely studied, and authors have suggested a northward migration from Mexico towards the United States. B. gracilis is extremely vulnerable to present global climate change and distribution modeling at different times (Last Glacial Maximum-LGM, mid-Holocene, Present

We hypothesized that diet choice of mixed-breed goats on xerophytic shrubland of northern Mexico depends on their milk yield potential. During winter and spring (dry season), milk yield was recorded and forage samples were collected weekly. Goats were separated into a medium (MP; n = 20) or low-milk yielding groups (LP; n = 20). Total milk yield for 105 d lactation was 45.2 ± 12.5 and 20.7 ± 5.2 L

The objectives of this work were to quantify the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and to evaluate the distribution of soil aggregates and their respective SOC and labile carbon (LC) present inside the aggregates in different perennial land use systems in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Soil samples were collected in four land use systems: two forage palm cultivation systems of different ages, a mango

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of five forage cactus genotypes (“Gigante,” “Miúda," “IPA Sertânia," “Orelha de Elefante Mexicana” [OCP], and “Orelha de Elefante Africana” [ACP]) in sheep. The goal was also to show the importance of energy content compared with other forages produced in dryland conditions. Five male sheep cannulated were randomized in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The experimental

Fire disturbance represents a major driver of soil nitrogen (N) distribution in many arid and semiarid grasslands. The spatial patterns of soil N and δ 15 N at microsite scale following fires, however, are rarely studied. Here we investigated the spatial distribution of soil N and soil δ 15 N before and within three years after a prescribed fire in a grassland-shrubland ecotone in the northern Chihuahuan

Varanus griseus caspius (desert monitor) is a predator included appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; therefore, it is crucial to plan for its conservation. In this study, the suitable habitats of the desert monitor, Varanus griseus caspius, were evaluated in Iran, considering 10 environmental factors, for three periods of time: mid-Holocene, current, and years 2041–2060

Population density and use of space by the rodent, Kerodon rupestris, were investigated in a semiarid area in Brazil. Distance sampling was used along line transects to estimate population density. Observations of K. rupestris were recorded on rocks, open ground, and in vegetation. The air temperature and the height of the vegetation were recorded for each observation. The frequencies of these observations

Washingtonia palms occur scattered in oases and canyons of the larger Sonoran Desert from lat. 24° to lat. 34° N. Northern oases have an arid temperate climate while those in the south experience seasonally dry, tropical conditions. A marked latitudinal cline in morphological characters has been described within the genus. We hypothesized that aridity-adapted leaf traits in Washingtonia palms, such

The diagnosis of land degradation requires a deep understanding of ecosystem functioning and evolution. In dryland systems, in particular, research efforts must address the redistribution of scarce resources for vegetation, in a context of high spatial heterogeneity and non-linear response. This fact explains the prevalence of eco-hydrological perspectives interested in runoff processes and, the more

Land degradation neutrality (LDN) has been widely recognized as an important target to achieve goals for global sustainable development. Ecological restoration projects (ERPs) are considered a traditional approach to mitigate wind erosion by altering the structures and functions of the ecosystem. Thus, the efficiency of China's historical large-scale ERPs for wind erosion mitigation should be examined

Pre-Neolithic hunter-gatherer populations were fully integrated in natural systems, they played an ecological role as top predators affecting food web dynamics according to predator-prey models, through which they maintained and controlled prey species numbers. However, human abilities to adapt to changing environments and different habitats as well as their capacity to expand, allowed them to occupy

The pastoral literature place little emphasis on the cooperative aspect of being a pastoralist. Part of the neglect stems from conflating the livestock owning unit, i.e. the household, with the herding group. Among Tibetan pastoralists, the herding group consist of people and animals from one or several households. They herd in groups because there is an optimal size of the herd concerning daily herding:

Eligmodontia morgani and E. typus are two small (<25 g) sigmodontine rodents that live in dry areas of southern Argentina. The species are very difficult to distinguish in the field, so their geographical delimitation has always been the subject of controversy. In this work we used sampling sites where each species has been previously identified by its karyotypes and mtDNA, and modeled their potential

Previous observations support predictions that habitat structure plays a major role in the distribution of species in several tropical regions. In such environments, arthropods are a key component of ecosystems because they are predators that may directly influence the energy flow dynamics in the ecosystem. As such, we investigated the effects of environmental structure on scorpion diversity in the

The spatial distribution of vegetation in sandy lands is closely related to micro-topography. Point pattern analysis of vegetation distribution from ground surveys and satellite images is a commonly used method but does not capture the influence of spatial heterogeneity at small scales. This study examined long-term ecological observation sites of elm (Ulmus pumila) sparse forest in the Otindag Sandy

Water shortage is a critical obstacle to socioeconomic development and ecological restoration in arid regions. In this study, soil-vegetation water use was calculated, and a system dynamic model that coupled economic, societal, and ecological factors was developed to simulate the water-use structure in the Alxa League of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The results showed that the soil–vegetation

Semi-arid environments are strongly limited by water and nutrients, which hinders their recovery after anthropogenic disturbances. Application of compost and irrigation can improve soil fertility and enhance vegetation growth during the restoration of these environments. However, these restoration techniques may also favor the establishment of opportunistic communities and arrest natural succession