Land degradation is a universal environmental problem around the world, which affects 1.5 billion people's well-being. Therefore, the efforts to monitor where land degradation has happened and to find out the causes are meaningful for land management and restoration. Arid regions such as Southern Africa have attracted many concerns on land degradation assessment. However, previous studies have neglected

Biotic invasions can interact with ongoing landscape transitions in introduced ranges, acting synergistically to accelerate landscape change. The African oryx (Oryx gazella), a large ungulate native to the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa, was intentionally released into the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico to provide increased hunting opportunities. Oryx have subsequently dispersed widely

Somalia is one of the most drought prone countries both in Africa and globally. Drought events usually develop gradually unnoticed, causing tremendous effects on both agriculture and environment. This study evaluated the spatio-temporal variations of drought occurrences in Somalia for the period between 1980 and 2015 as quantified by Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The intensities

The matching of breeding with the food peak is one of the most important factors affecting the reproductive success in birds. Weather is known to affect the timing of breeding of many bird species. In arid lands, rainfall is usually the factor that triggers the onset of reproduction, since it commonly anticipates the peak of food through its influence on the vegetation development. In this study we

In the Australian semi-arid–arid zone, hydrological records are typically only 40–60 years long, prohibiting an understanding of long-term hydrological variability. Kati-Thanda – Lake Eyre Basin (KT-LEB), is the fifth largest terminal lake in the world, experiences highly variable flows and supports myriad flora and fauna. The opportunistic and highly irregular growth of trees in KT-LEB means that

Soil microorganisms communities regulate key functions in terrestrial ecosystems and contributes to the formation of stable organic matter and hence climate change mitigation. The structure, diversity and activity of soil microbial communities are influenced by the quantity and quality of organic compounds entering soils through the contribution of their root exudates and plant litter, which the microorganisms

Climate change is predicted to decrease the availability of water in deserts, potentially increasing competition for water. We wanted to determine if competition between top carnivores in deserts of western North America (i.e., coyote (Canis latrans) and bobcat (Lynx rufus)) was influenced by water availability. Evidence suggests that coyotes and bobcats do not compete for water in the Chihuahuan Desert

We determined the consumption of fruits and estimated potential seed dispersal of a canid community in semi-arid ecosystems of South Africa by comparing diets, defecation sites, densities and potential seed shadows of cape foxes (Vulpes chama), bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis) and black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) on Benfontein and Rooipoort nature reserves. On Benfontein, all canid species

Mogan and Eymir lakes are shallow wetlands which are potentially susceptible to global warming. Previous geological studies demonstrated several complete desiccation and shrinkage events in Lake Mogan since the 1800s. Archival records show at least three desiccation events in 1910, 1934 and 1938, and many severe shrinkages later. Here, the significance of climatic and anthropogenic drivers is still

Tortoise ecology is poorly studied in East Africa. Here, using two terrestrial Testudinidae (Stigmochelys pardalis and Kinixys belliana) as study models, we (i) present basic demographic characteristics (sex-ratio, and density), (ii) describe correlates of their presence at two spatial scales (micro-habitat and macro-habitat), (iii) evaluate the effects of rainfall on their seasonal activity patterns

The shovel-snouted sand lizard, Meroles anchietae, is a small lacertid that inhabits the aeolian sand dunes of the Namib Desert. We conducted focal observations to characterize the movement patterns of adult male, adult female, and juvenile M. anchietae in their preferred habitat: dune slip faces. Movement varied considerably among demographic classes. Both adult males and females made longer moves

The genus Microgecko Nikolsky 1907 belongs to the family Gekkonidae and contains eight species distributed in Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, northwestern India and, probably, in Iraq. Among them, the Latifi's dwarf gecko, Microgecko latifi, is endemic to central and southwestern Iran. We used MaxEnt modeling approach to investigate the effects of climate change and potential distribution of M. latifi

A low-cost restoration action in patchy drylands worldwide is the installation of obstructions (hereafter, resource sinks) to break runoff pathways and retain resources. Field-works have studied how the effectiveness of this action depends on the materials installed. However, the influence and effectiveness of the cover and spatial organization of resource sinks have not been widely investigated. In

The burrows of the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) increase microhabitat heterogeneity and provide breeding sites and refuge for several vertebrate species on China's Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Despite their important role in the ecosystem, pikas are poisoned in China and have been extirpated in some areas. The Qinghai toad-headed agama (Phrynocephalus vlangalii) has been referred to as strongly dependent

Degradation by wind erosion is detrimental to both soil and land quality in arid regions. This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of some organic amendment - poultry manure (PM), farmyard manure (FYM) and rice husk (RH) and were applied on the sandy soil surface at 1 and 3 cm thickness and control (no treatment; C) to make clear the sand particles stabilization. Total soil nitrogen

The Cattle Egret is considered an important auxiliary in agro-ecosystems, known by its dietary plasticity and habitat versatility. In this context, the present study focuses on the temporal variation of Bubulcus ibis preys, through the analysis of excrements of a colony located in the city of Chlef, in Northwest Algeria. To this aim, 10 randomly collected fecal pellets were analyzed each month over

The scarce information about soil carbon (C) storage in water-stressed ecosystems limits our understanding on soil contribution to the C cycle in arid zones. This study, performed in arid NW México: (i) estimated soil capacity to store organic C (SOC) and inorganic C (SIC) linked to topography; (ii) determined the spatial distribution of regional SOC stocks; and (iii) analysed if different land-uses

Land-use change has been the strongest driver of vegetation cover change in the world. In the South American Dry Chaco (~1 M km2; PPT/ET0 < 0.65), native dry forests are experiencing high deforestation rates that tend to continue in the coming years. Here, we used a hydrological model (Hydrus 1-D) to analyze changes in the water balance triggered by the replacement of dry forests by annual rainfed

Regional climate change affects natural processes, including the amount of precipitation and the spatiotemporal differentiation of areal precipitation. The study of such changes is especially important for the Crimea due to the aridity and the lack of water resources therein. In this study, we carried out regression modelling of the areal precipitation in the Crimea using data from 24 weather stations

Woody species play a key role in Stipa tenacissima steppes, they affect ecosystem functioning, facilitate establishment of other plants and increase plant richness. Among the mechanisms involved in facilitation, effect of litter on seed germination and seedling establishment is largely underexplored. We studied the properties of the litter layer under five woody species common in Stipa tenacissima

Topsoil erosion is a widespread and major threat to terrestrial ecosystems that leads to environmental deterioration. Monitoring soil erosion dynamics and understanding the driving mechanisms are of great significance for optimizing ecological restoration programs and combating land degradation. We apply a widely used soil erosion assessment model to quantify the changes in soil erosion on the Loess

The dune sequences of Fuerteventura mainly consist of biogenic carbonate sands which originate from the shallow marine shelf. By onshore winds those carbonate sands migrate landwards, building up sequences of different dune generations with intercalated reddish silty layers. Former studies discussed the formation of dune generations on Fuerteventura against climatic shifts, sea level changes or changing

Deserts, despite being extreme environments, contain multiple habitats of different productivity and vegetation structure, affecting the abundance and diversity of desert arthropods. Predatory arthropods may be exceptionally diverse where scattered vegetation provides micro-habitats, concentrations of prey, and protection from predation risk. We examined the effect of habitat differences and local

The measurement of non-rainfall atmospheric water input (NRWI) in arid environments requires instruments that are capable to detect even smallest amounts of total daily water input of less than 0.1 mm. Microlysimeters yield robust and high precision data of such low NRWI. We provide a technical description of a self-constructed microlysimeter and demonstrate its excellent performance regarding the

The Monte Desert is the most arid rangeland in Argentina. Its northern portion, the High Monte ecoregion, is a geomorphologically complex area, characterized by mountain and bolsons landforms. Yet, most studies about plant diversity in the area have disregarded the altitudinal gradient. We examined the patterns of species richness, composition, and diversity along an altitudinal gradient in the Sierra

Gender-sensitive climate change adaptation strategies can improve gender equality and women's development in agrarian communities. This study used both qualitative and quantitative research methods (focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and household surveys) to explore the perspectives of men and women on climate change, including climate change impacts on their farming activities and

Identification of factors that determine the behavior and diversity of species is crucial to our understanding of the ecology of species and communities. Satellite remote sensing (SRS) provides information relevant to the study of biodiversity and associated environmental traits at multiple spatial and temporal resolutions. Pond-breeding amphibians allow for comparative ecological analysis regarding

This study aims at developing specific allometric biomass equations that can be integrated into a remote sensing (RS) based model for assessing carbon sequestered in date palms. Assessing the potential of date palms to improve soil carbon sequestration was another objective. In a previous study, the authors demonstrated that combinations of visible and short wave single bands (Red, SWIR1, SWIR2) besides

Large-scale afforestation is a common measure to control desertification and soil erosion, especially in China. However, the massive afforestation may consume excessive water resources and cause the severe water shortage in the arid and semiarid regions. To understand the water consumption characteristics of afforestation, this study identifies the afforestation area and chooses the Water Footprint

Zygophyllum fabago is a species within the arid-adapted family Zygophyllaceae. The species is characterized by the co-occurrence of dichogamy and herkogamy. In order to understand the effect of these two complementary anti-selfing mechanisms in reproductive success, we conducted a detailed study of floral biology in Z. fabago. Our results indicated an incomplete separation of the female and male phases

A crop modeling approach can be used to assess various crop management options and water productivity to improve crop production for different environments. The goal of this study was to determine optimum planting dates and nitrogen management options using a systems analysis approach based on the Cropping System Model (CSM) CERES-Wheat of DSSAT v 4.6. Wheat experiments were conducted from 2007 to

Qatar is one of the few countries where there is no permanent natural surface freshwater source, and yet toads are known to occur, recently identified as the African common toad, Sclerophrys regularis. However, little information is available concerning the geographical distribution of toads in Qatar, as well as how they have expanded their distribution. We conducted the first-ever nationwide field

Bird demography in the semi-arid tropics is poorly understood and potentially distinct from that in the humid tropics. In dry environments, rainfall dynamics lead to temporal concentration of food resources and to animals' responses to these resources, which together influence survival. Using six years of sampling from a dry forest in Brazil, we describe the temporal relationship among rainfall, breeding

The warming climate of recent decades has led to further aridity of the Mongolian landscape and has had major effects on forest growth and wildfire occurrence. Here, we investigated drought and wildfire effects on the growth of Pinus sylvestris along an ecologically diverse transect in semiarid north-central Mongolia using two separate subsets. Tree-ring width series of the first subset, represented

Livestock is one of the major sources of livelihood for the agro-pastoral communities in central and south Asia. Livestock depredation by large carnivores is a wide-ranging issue that leads to economic losses and a deviance from co-existence. We investigated the grass root factors causing livestock depredation in Kargil, Ladakh and tested the findings of diet analysis in validating reported livestock

Revegetation with native leguminous shrub Caragana microphylla in the Horqin Sandy Land, China, has been reported to increase plant coverage and diversity, and ameliorate abiotic soil property. However, comprehensive investigation of soil microbial-community composition after revegetation in this area has been rarely conducted. In this study, DNA of sand dunes restored for a period of 12 and 30 years

Burrow-dwelling rodents are often considered ecosystem engineer species in arid environments. They create distinct habitat patches by building burrows: they move large amounts of soil, mix soil layers and change soil properties locally. Our aim was to explore the role of Steppe Marmot as an ecosystem engineer in shaping the plant species composition and diversity of steppes. First, we made a literature

Styrax officinalis L. is an important medicinal plant that grows in the desert, subtropics, temperate climate, and Mediterranean Basin regions.. It has been used for medicinal, religious, agricultural and cosmetic purposes. This review aimed to collect from the literature, all the available data about the phytochemistry, traditional medicinal uses, evidence-based uses, morphology and habitat of S.

Selective breeding of the guanaco and vicuña indisputably led to the domestic llama and alpaca. However, the place, time and process of domestication remain poorly documented, exacerbated by increased evidence of historic and recent introgression among both domestic populations, especially those involving alpaca. Here, we report the first comprehensive assessment of patterns of microsatellite variation

This study presents the first report of the occurrence of Dasymutilla gloriosa (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) on Carmen, Cerralvo (Jacques Cousteau), and San Marcos Islands, Baja California Sur. Additionally, we collected D. connectens and D. gloriosa on the mainland of the Peninsula at the Sierra Laguna Reserve, that corresponds to the geographical distribution of these Dasymutilla species. Several individuals

Wool production in arid and semiarid rangelands is strongly affected by environmental variability. Seasonal fluctuations of the environmental conditions drive variations in the nutritional status of the sheep, wool growth and quality. The variation of fibre diameter during the annual growth period can be observed through the Fibre Diameter Profiles (FDP). The FDP provide a retrospective description

Stipa tenacissima steppes cover 70,000 km2 in the Mediterranean basin. In these habitats, resprouting shrubs form woody patches that were removed in the past to promote fiber and forage production. Patches are recovering after decades of abandonment. Patches enhance plant richness and affect ecosystem functioning. Yet, they have been commonly considered as a single entity, paying scarce attention to

Anthropogenic disturbances, particularly in deserts where resources and biodiversity are limited, may affect the delicate balance that enables an organism to exist in its environment. In this study, we investigated the impacts of human disturbance and the resulting changes in vegetation composition on activity, thermal biology, and body condition index of the Egyptian spiny-tailed burrowing lizard

Vitellaria paradoxa, the shea tree, an economically important fruit-tree species native to savanna regions is threatened in Burkina Faso due to overexploitation and changing land-use. Furthermore, it remains unclear how climate change will influence its frequency and distribution. We investigated the impact of climate change on the projected spatial distribution of favorable habitats for V. paradoxa

Despite occupying small land areas, riparian systems provision a large number of vertebrates, including amphibians, one of the most threatened vertebrate taxa. We associated capture rates of a fossorial desert anuran (Scaphiopus couchii) to non-native plant invasion and shrub encroachment via soil traits and habitat physiognomy in native, invaded, and shrub-encroached riparian habitats in the Sonoran

Recent reports from Isfahan, Iran, have proclaimed cases of land subsidence arising from persistence of drought events and groundwater overexploitation. In this light, the present study attempts to conduct an PS-InSAR analysis of subsidence events using the Sentinel–1A Synthetic Aperture Radar imagery technique, in order to develop a subsidence map of the target study region, covering the period from

The objective of this study is to evaluate the bromatological composition, carbohydrate fractionation, in vitro digestibility and gas production of varieties of forage cactus of the genus Opuntia, associated with different phenological phases. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design in a 5 × 3 factorial arrangement consisting of five forage cactus varieties of the genus Opuntia

Uluru is the more famous of the two namesake inselbergs found in Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park (UKTNP). Uluru is roughly 10 km around its base, stands nearly 350 m tall, and can cast a shadow more than a kilometre long during the early morning and late afternoon hours. Additionally, there are many areas near the base of Uluru that receive nearly continuous shade throughout the day, which may also

Ephemeral rivers are key features of desert ecosystems, providing shallow groundwater and occasional surface flow, but compared to perennial systems, the structure of riparian forests in ephemeral rivers and their interactions with the hydrologic regime are poorly understood. This study examines the distribution of riparian woody species in the ephemeral Kuiseb River in central Namibia. Unmanned aerial

Globally, invasive species in grasslands and shrublands have substantially altered trophic interactions and ecosystem processes. In North America, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) has invaded much of the western sage-steppe, leading to substantial shifts in plant communities and fire regimes. The effects of this cheatgrass invasion on small mammals are inconsistent among species and regions, and the mechanisms

Forest thinning is an important management strategy for altering the hydrological function of forests by redistributing of incident rainfall, and improving the capacity to store water on forest floor and in the soil. A study to analyze the water conservation functions of the forest canopy and forest floor was conducted on a 36-year-old Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation with different thinning

Parental provisioning and breeding success of Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) has been widely studied in some continental populations but not in their island-dwelling counterparts. We studied breeding success of kestrels nesting in natural rocky cavities in southern xerophytic scrub of the oceanic island of Tenerife during eight breeding seasons and its relationships with the endemic Gallot's

Availability of organic amendment for improving crop yields under rehabilitated degraded soils is a challenge in the Sahelian regions. There is, therefore, a need to develop an innovative manure management strategy for optimizing the use of available manure to increase crop yields in these regions. A 2-year field and litterbag experiments were conducted to determine the optimal manure application option

Chemical and phytolith analyses of well-preserved goat faecal pellets from different strata of the Ramon I Rock Shelter, in the Makhtesh Ramon (Crater) in the Central Negev, Israel, show patterns of seasonal stabling and grazing among nomads from three different periods, the Late Neolithic, the Early Bronze Age, and recent times (ca. 1800 AD to date). Low faecal lignin and high protein in the ancient

Desertification is an issue of environmental concern in Nigeria, particularly the northern part of the country. This study examines land cover changes related to the process of desertification in the states along the northern boundary of Nigeria (Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, and Borno) and the implications on the Lake Chad Basin. A time series of Landsat imagery at a spatial resolution of