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Predation on desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) by desert canids J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-03-01 Erica C. Kelly; Brian L. Cypher; Tory L. Westall
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
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Goats foster endozoochoric dispersal of exotic species in a seasonally dry tropical forest ecosystem J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-27 F.H. Sena; Katharina Schulz; Arne Cierjacks; Hiram Marinho Falcão; Bruno Melo Lustosa; J.S. Almeida
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
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Misfit rivers under ENSO regimes: The deactivation of the Colorado River system of Argentina J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-26 Federico Ignacio Isla; Marcela A. Espinosa
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
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Differential Morphological Profile on remote sensing images for vegetation mapping in a semi-arid region of the Algerian Saharan Atlas J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-26 Akila Kemmouche; Samir L'Haddad; Thouraya Merazi-Meksen; Aude Nuscia Taïbi
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
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Noteworthy records and updated richness of medium to large-sized mammals in arid and semi-arid ecosystems of northern Peru and southern Ecuador J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-26 Alvaro García-Olaechea; Zoila Vega; Cindy M. Hurtado
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
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Assessment of water presence and use at sand dams in Kenya J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-22 Doug Graber Neufeld; Joseph Muli; Bernard Muendo; James Kanyari
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
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Azorella compacta's long-term growth rate, longevity, and potential for dating geomorphological and archaeological features in the arid southern Peruvian Andes J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-21 Christopher J. Harpel; Catherine Kleier; Rigoberto Aguilar
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
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Assessment of the agricultural water budget in southern Iran using Sentinel-2 to Landsat-8 datasets J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-18 Arnaud Caiserman; Farshad Amiraslani; Dominique Dumas
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
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Close association between flowering time and aridity gradient for Sarcopoterium spinosum in Israel J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-18 Yoni Waitz; Haggai Wasserstrom; Nir Hanin; Netanel Landau; Tomer Faraj; Michal Barzilai; Jotham Ziffer-Berger; Oz Barazani
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Diversity of rhizobia isolated from Tunisian arid soils capable of forming nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with Anthyllis henoniana J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-15 Khouloud Bessadok; Salvadora Navarro-Torre; Amira Fterich; Miguel Angel Caviedes; Eloisa Pajuelo; Ignacio David Rodríguez-Llorente; Mohamed Mars
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
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The impact of land-use change on the soil bacterial community in the Loess Plateau, China J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-16 Lei Zhang; Junping Lv
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
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Assessing wildlife biodiversity using camera trap data on the Mongolian marmot (Marmota sibirica) colonies J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-15 Buyandelger Suuri; Otgonbayar Baatargal; Bayartogtokh Badamdorj; Richard P. Reading
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
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Evapotranspiration estimates from an energy-water-balance model calibrated on satellite land surface temperature over the Heihe basin J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-13 Nicola Paciolla; Chiara Corbari; Guangcheng Hu; Chaolei Zheng; Massimo Menenti; Li Jia; Marco Mancini
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
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Avian response to prolonged drought in drylands: The case of two dove species in Brazil's semi-arid region J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-13 Phoeve Macario; Guilherme Santos Toledo-Lima; João Paulo Tavares-Damasceno; Mauro Pichorim
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
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On the use of the Land Degradation Neutrality concept in mediterranean watersheds for land restoration and erosion counteraction J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-14 Mario J. Al Sayah; Chadi Abdallah; Michel Khouri; Rachid Nedjai; Talal Darwich
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
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Hillslope geodiversity improves the resistance of shrubs to prolonged droughts in semiarid ecosystems J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-13 Vladislav Dubinin; Ilan Stavi; Tal Svoray; Michael Dorman; Hezi Yizhaq
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
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Intercropping forage cactus and sorghum in a semi-arid environment improves biological efficiency and competitive ability through interspecific complementarity J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-15 Alexandre Maniçoba da Rosa Ferraz Jardim; Thieres George Freire da Silva; Luciana Sandra Bastos de Souza; George do Nascimento Araújo Júnior; Hygor Kristoph Muniz Nunes Alves; Marcondes de Sá Souza; Gherman Garcia Leal de Araújo; Magna Soelma Beserra de Moura
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Chemical cues may allow a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile to avoid extremely saline soils when selecting microhabitats J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-09 José Martín; Alejandro Ibáñez; Mario Garrido; Ernesto Raya-García; Pilar López
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
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Food security and safety mismatch in low-income settings: Evidence from milk produced by smallholders in semiarid Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-08 Ariana N. Meira; Patrícia E.N. Givisiez; Francisca Geovânia C. Souza; Candice M.G.C. De Leon; Paulo S. Azevedo; Núbia M.V. Silva; Celso J.B. Oliveira
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
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Wind regime and aeolian landforms on the eastern shore of Qinghai Lake, Northeastern Tibetan Plateau, China J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-06 Guangyin Hu; Zhibao Dong; Zhengcai Zhang; Linhai Yang; Lewei Hao; Patrick Hesp; Graziela Miot da Silva
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
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Occurrence of a new pest Casama innotata (Walker, 1855) (Lepidoptera, Erebidae) on a nonnative host plant in an arid environment J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-04 Olfa Ezzine; Samir Dhahri; Sonia Hammami; Asma Bourougaaoui; Mohamed Habib Ben Jamâa
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
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Keeping people in the loop: Socioeconomic valuation of dry forest ecosystem services in the Colombian Caribbean region J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-03 David Pérez-Sánchez; Marelis Montes; César Cardona-Almeida; Luis Alberto Vargas-Marín; Tatiana Enríquez-Acevedo; Andres Suarez
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
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Microhabitat use of two sympatric geckos, Turner's thick-toed gecko (Chondrodactylus turneri) and the Common Namib Day Gecko (Rhoptropus afer) J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-02 Hayden D. Hedman; Sililo C. Chuga; Douglas A. Eifler; Gustaf P.K. Hanghome; Maria A. Eifler
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
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Low-cost drones help measure tree characteristics in the Sahelian savanna J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-02-01 M. Bossoukpe; E. Faye; O. Ndiaye; S. Diatta; O. Diatta; A.A. Diouf; M. Dendoncker; M.H. Assouma; S. Taugourdeau
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
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Nebkha or not? -Climate control on foredune mode J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-29 Patrick A. Hesp; Luis Hernández-Calvento; Juan B. Gallego-Fernández; Graziela Miot da Silva; Antonio I. Hernández-Cordero; Marie-Helene Ruz; Levi García Romero
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Landslides on dry badlands: UAV images to identify the drivers controlling their unexpected occurrence on vegetated hillslopes J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-23 E. Rodriguez-Caballero; B. Rodriguez-Lozano; R. Segura-Tejada; J. Blanco-Sacristán; Y. Cantón
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
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How far surface water fluxes determine restoration success in Mediterranean degraded areas? Implications for dryland precision restoration J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-23 Athanasios Smanis; David Fuentes; Pablo Fuente; Alejandro Valdecantos
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
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Land, water and energy: The crossing of governance J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-17 Carlos San Juan Mesonada; Julia I. Armario Benítez
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
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Contrasting hydrological regimes in two adjoining semi-arid areas, with low rain intensities J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-16 Aaron Yair
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
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Activity patterns of leopards (Panthera pardus) and temporal overlap with their prey in an arid depredation hotspot of southern Africa J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-15 Sam Puls; Kristine J. Teichman; Corlé Jansen; M. Justin O'Riain; Bogdan Cristescu
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
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First anthrachological studies at the eastern Pampa-Patagonia transition (Argentina). Hunter-gatherers management of woody material and Initial Late Holocene vegetal communities inferred from the Zoko Andi 1 archaeological site J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-15 Gustavo Martínez; Mariana Brea; Gustavo A. Martínez; Alejandro F. Zucol
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
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Climate change effects on waterhole persistence in rivers of the Lake Eyre Basin, Australia J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-15 Bernie Cockayne
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
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Shrubs facilitate perennial bunchgrass recruitment in drylands under experimental precipitation change J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-15 Elizabeth K. Swanson; Roger L. Sheley; Jeremy J. James
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
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An assessment of seed head and flag leaf contributions to reproductive effort in sagebrush steppe bunchgrasses J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-14 Erik P. Hamerlynck; Rory C. O'Connor
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
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Persistent adventitious and basal root development during salt stress tolerance in Echinocactus platyacanthus (Cactaceae) seedlings J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-12 Ulises Rosas; José Antonio Lara-González; Alejandro De-la-Rosa-Tilapa; Teresa Terrazas
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
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Applications of bio-cementation and bio-polymerization for aeolian erosion control J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-09 Rituraj Devrani; Anant Aishwarya Dubey; K. Ravi; Lingaraj Sahoo
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
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Rapid increase of potential evapotranspiration weakens the effect of precipitation on aridity in global drylands J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Ning Pan; Shuai Wang; Yanxu Liu; Yan Li; Feng Xue; Fangli Wei; Haipeng Yu; Bojie Fu
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
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Functional performance of biocrusts across Europe and its implications for drylands J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Jose Raggio; Allan Green; Ana Pintado; Leopoldo G. Sancho; Burkhard Büdel
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
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Hypolithic refuges: Influence of habitat availability, microclimate, and predation on hypolithic invertebrates in the eastern karoo, South Africa J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-31 Tara van der Westhuizen; Marietjie Landman; Graham I.H. Kerley
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
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The contribution of frankincense to the agro-pastoral household economy and its potential for commercialization - A case from Borana, southern Ethiopia J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-29 Yonas Berhanu; Pål Vedeld; Ayana Angassa; Jens B. Aune
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
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Past, present and future distribution of Bouteloua gracilis, a key species of North American grasslands, changes related to climate change J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-29 Marcela Avendaño-González; María Elena Siqueiros-Delgado
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
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Diet selected by goats on xerophytic shrubland with different milk yield potential J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-26 S. García-Monjaras; R.E. Santos-Díaz; M.J. Flores-Najera; V. Cuevas-Reyes; C.A. Meza-Herrera; M. Mellado; A.J. Chay-Canul; C.A. Rosales-Nieto
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
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Physical protection of soil organic carbon through aggregates in different land use systems in the semi-arid region of Brazil J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-26 Paulo Henrique Marques Monroe; Patrícia Anjos Bittencourt Barreto-Garcia; Welluma Teixeira Barros; Francisco Garcia Romeiro Barbosa de Oliveira; Marcos Gervasio Pereira
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
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Can spineless forage cactus be the queen of forage crops in dryland areas? J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-25 Rubem Ramos Rocha Filho; Djalma Cordeiro Santos; Antonia Sherlânea Chaves Véras; Michelle Christina Bernardo Siqueira; Luciano Patto Novaes; Robert Mora-Luna; Carolina Corrêa Figueiredo Monteiro; Marcelo Andrade Ferreira
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
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Fire changes the spatial pattern and dynamics of soil nitrogen (N) and δ15N at a grassland-shrubland ecotone J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-25 Guan Wang; Junran Li; Sujith Ravi; Bethany Theiling; William Burger
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
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Hydrothermal modulation of NDVI in the high-altitude semiarid Andes of Chile (30–34°S) J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-24 Valeria M. Rudloff; José A. Rutllant; Alejandra Martel-Cea; Antonio Maldonado
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Prediction of habitat suitability for the desert monitor (Varanus griseus caspius) under the influence of future climate change J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-24 Shabnam Shadloo; Shirin Mahmoodi; Mahboubeh Sadat Hosseinzadeh; Seyed Mahdi Kazemi
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
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Population density and use of space by Kerodon rupestris: An endemic and threatened rodent in the semiarid areas of Brazil J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-24 Anderson Mendonça Conceição; Adriana Bocchiglieri
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
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Variation in leaf xeromorphism in the desert palm genus Washingtonia (Arecaceae) J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-19 Vanessa Pérez; Andrea Arévalo; Lorena Villanueva-Almanza; Exequiel Ezcurra
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
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Eco-geomorphological connectivity and coupling interactions at hillslope scale in drylands: Concepts and critical examples J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-19 A. Calvo-Cases; E. Arnau-Rosalén; C. Boix-Fayos; J. Estrany; M.J. Roxo; E. Symeonakis
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
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Examining the reversal of soil erosion decline in the hotspots of sandstorms: A non-linear ecosystem dynamic perspective J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-19 Chong Jiang; Zhiyuan Yang; Xinchi Wang; Xinling Dong; Zhouyuan Li; Congying Li
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
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The human hunter as predator: A new role under a food web restoration scenario J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-17 Jorge Cassinello
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
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Determining the potential impacts of fire and different land uses on splash erosion J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-17 María Fernández-Raga; Estefanía García Gutiérrez; Saskia D. Keesstra; Reyes Tárrega; João P. Nunes; Elena Marcos; Jesús Rodrigo-Comino
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Collaborative foundations of herding: The formation of cooperative groups among Tibetan pastoralists J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Marius Warg Næss
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:
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Tell me where you live and I'll tell you who you are: Spatial segregation of southern species of Eligmodontia Cuvier in Patagonia, Argentina J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-15 Trinidad Ruiz Barlett; Gabriel Martin; María Fabiana Laguna; Guillermo Abramson; Adrián Monjeau
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
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Quantifying the influences of land surface parameters on LST variations based on GeoDetector model in Syr Darya Basin, Central Asia J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-09 Wei Wang; Alim Samat; Jilili Abuduwaili; Yongxiao Ge
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Habitat heterogeneity shapes and shifts scorpion assemblages in a Brazilian seasonal dry tropical forest J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 André F.A. Lira; Jonathas C. Araujo; Felipe N.A.A. Rego; Stênio I.A. Foerster; Cleide M.R. Albuquerque
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
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Simulations of spatial patterns and species distributions in sandy land using unmanned aerial vehicle images J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-06 Yin Wu; Jing Zhang; Feng Wang; Yongyu Song; Jie Ji
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
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Balance of water supply and consumption during ecological restoration in arid regions of Inner Mongolia, China J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-06 Xiaoyu Zhang; Duanyang Xu; Ziyu Wang; Yue Zhang
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
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Effects of early irrigation and compost addition on soil and vegetation of a restored semiarid limestone quarry are undetectable after 13 years J. Arid Environ. (IF 1.83) Pub Date : 2020-12-04 Santiago Soliveres; Elizabeth Gutiérrez-Acevedo; Aymen Moghli; Jordi Cortina-Segarra
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
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