Dryland smallholders are faced with the challenges of achieving resilience and agricultural sustainability. This is in addition to constraints such as lack of capital, inputs, and often poor extension services. The risk of extreme weather events poses a great challenge to food security in drylands as the impacts of climate change increases. This paper examines the challenges faced by smallholders and

We analyze the effects on seedling survival of Bursera bipinnata, B. copallifera and B. glabrifolia caused by their association with rocks, nurse plants, and in open areas. We hypothesize that the seedling-rock association is the safest for the establishment of all three seedling species. The objective was to investigate the suitability of the associations for seedling establishment and to compare

Full-scale intensive silvicultural activities, such as afforestation and rehabilitation, can deteriorate the fragile structural features and functions of karst ecosystems. Within these ecosystems, degraded and fragmented habitats can only be connected to each other through a landscape network that poses a positive umbrella effect over these areas. The aim of this research was to determine suitable

We studied diets of feral cats (Felis catus), dingoes (Canis familiaris) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in desert environments in north-eastern South Australia by analysing prey remains in opportunistically-collected scats. Four major landscapes were sampled (Simpson Desert, Sturt Stony Desert, Strzelecki Desert – Cooper Creek and Diamantina River) which yielded 238 cat scats, 298 dingo scats and ten

Grazing disturbance affects an extensive area of the Monte desert (Argentina). Arthropods are the main faunistic component of the Monte and play key roles in ecosystem processes. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of grazing on the canopy arthropod assemblages that inhabit three representative shrub species of the southern Monte (Chuquiraga avellanedae, Schinus johnstonii and Larrea divaricata)

Methods for quantifying vegetative cover across landscapes have, until recently, been limited to ground-based surveys or remote sensing via satellites or aircraft, both of which can limit the spatial scale of resulting data. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) can efficiently collect high-resolution sub-decimeter imagery of landscapes; geographic, object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) of the collected imagery

Understanding the effects of long-term seed storage on germination is important to elucidate both soil seed bank dynamics and capacity of seeds to be preserved in ex situ conservation programs. We collected seeds 13 cactus species from central Argentina and conducted the following experiments: germination of freshly collected seeds (2011) and germination of seeds stored for 3 (2014) and 7 years (2018)

The effects of fire on cacti depend on individual plant characteristics, fire intensity, and local conditions. Tobusch fishhook cactus (Sclerocactus brevihamatus ssp. tobuschii) is a small (<~7 cm diameter), globose cactus endemic to the Edwards Plateau of central Texas. This species grows in open sites with shallow, rocky soils, surrounded by oak-juniper woodlands and shrublands. Fire is thought to

Precipitation affects large herbivore performance, but data is often available from only a limited number of weather stations that may not correspond with home ranges. Remotely-sensed estimates could potentially address this by providing estimates of precipitation at any point on the landscape. We tested whether 4-km resolution precipitation estimates derived from the Parameter-elevation Relationships

Overexploitation and climate change accelerate the degradation of Jordan's arid rangelands. Uncovered and crusted soils increase runoff and erosion and hinder the emergence of the native vegetation. Micro water harvesting combined with shrub-seedling plantation have been widely applied to reverse land degradation trends. However, consequential soil water and vegetation dynamics have been rarely assessed

Agricultural and livestock productivity in the semiarid region depend on the occurrence of rainfall, soil fertility and forage supply. The use of domestic sewage effluent can be used as an alternative source of water and nutrients for crops growth in the semiarid region. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of irrigation with treated domestic sewage effluent on the growth and biomass production

Interventions of water harvesting technologies (WHTs) in drought-prone areas like the Tigray region (northern Ethiopia) is an option less strategy to alleviate food insecurity issues emanating from water scarcity. Hence, wide spectrums of WHTs were applied in Tigray Region in the last three decades. Thus, this study aimed to assess the WHTs and the subsequent contributions in ensuring households’ food

Designing adaptation strategies to climate change and variability impacts requires an understanding of people's perception of climate change. Despite Maasai of the Maasai Steppe being vulnerable to climate change, how communities understood and interpret climate change have received little attention. A cross-sectional study of community's perceptions of climate change and adaptation was conducted.

This research investigated spatial and temporal environmental changes associated with climatic variability and off-highway vehicle (OHV) activity in the Algodones Dunes, California, using time-series analysis of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer imagery from 2001 to 2016. We compared changes in land cover, surface albedo, and surface temperatures between the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation

The distributions of bat species in Qatar have not previously been recorded. We conducted the first nation-wide survey of bats in Qatar. Based on sonogram analysis, we identified Asellia tridens, Otonycteris hemprichii, and Pipistrellus kuhlii. The most commonly recorded species was Asellia tridens, the only species recorded in the northern half of the country. Contrary to our prediction, the likelihood

Succulence is widely interpreted as an adaptation to drought, usually associated with CAM and xeromorphic features among arid-adapted plants. However, this syndrome can also be observed in species typical of mesic and even hydric environments. The leaf-succulent genus Crassula (Crassulaceae) occurs in contrasting habitats in all nine biomes of southern Africa. This study represents the first to compare

Migration has become an adaptation strategy in response to economic transition and changing climate in the arid Mongolia. This paper reviews migration in Mongolia in the past few decades, particularly from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s using the data during 2001–2014 of the Mongolia National Labor Survey. Urbanization accounted for over 80% of all migration, mostly into the capital city Ulaanbaatar

Drought is one of the most devastating climate extremes in terms of its spatial extent and intensity. Rainfed areas are extremely vulnerable to drought, but effective monitoring may lessen the impact of such events. This study developed a composite drought index (CDI) for monitoring and assessing seasonal droughts in rainfed areas of the Potwar Plateau of Pakistan, using remotely sensed and observed

Although drought is a normal feature of climate, there is confusion about its characteristics in both arid and semi-arid regions. This study investigated the effects of changes in precipitation and temperature on spatio-temporal drought and humidity variations throughout the diverse (principally arid- and semi-arid) climates of Iran during recent decades using the Pedj Drought Index (PDI). The standardized

Efforts have been taken to understand the criteria for selecting plants for various purposes. However, regarding fuelwood use, there is still disagreement in the literature concerning the processes that drive their use. As a result, wood quality and its availability in the environment have alternated in studies as the main determinants in terms of predictive power. The main goal of this study was to

Unconventional water resources such as treated wastewater (TWW) are being increasingly used for irrigation in regions with limited freshwater availability. Likewise, subsurface drip irrigation (SSDI) has been proposed for improving water use efficiency in arid lands. The combined effects of both factors (SSDI/TWW) on soil health have received little attention. This study assessed the mid-term (6 years)

The critically endangered African wild ass (Equus africanus) occurs in the Danakil Desert of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Drinking behaviour and the costs of accessing water are critical to understanding how this threatened equid survives in an arid environment. Drinking data and distance travelled to water of 24 females and five males were recorded for 83 days during four study years. Drinking frequency

Mining restoration is a key in ecological sustainable development. Ecological stoichiometry and homeostasis in the plant-litter-soil system remain largely unknown but are vital for developing guidelines for vegetation restoration in mining subsidence areas in arid northwest China. Six re-vegetation types comprising stands of Amorpha fruticosa, Hippophae rhamnoides, Xanthoceras sorbifolium, Cerasus

Anthropogenic activities have greatly affected some of the global biogeochemical cycles, including the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycles. This alteration of nutrients has significantly impacted ecosystems around the globe. Arid ecosystems may be particularly vulnerable to changes in nutrient availability, in addition to their frequent limitation by water availability. We conducted a nutrient-fertilization

Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) and free-roaming horses (Equus caballus) co-occur within large portions of sagebrush ecosystems within the Great Basin of western North America. In recent decades, sage-grouse populations have declined substantially while concomitant free-roaming horse populations have increased drastically. Although multiple studies have reported

Arid environments demand specific adaptations from plants in vegetative and reproductive systems. Self–compatibility, high pollen production and few well developed fruits are adapted to increase sexual reproductive success. Dorema aucheri is an arid–adapted, perennial monocarpic species endemic to southern Iran. It has a unique inflorescence structure. In this study, significance of inflorescence architecture

Vivipary is the germination of a seed inside of a fruit before it is separated from the mother plant. In the present study, the populations of several Cuban cactus species are explored in search of vivipary and Leptocereus scopulophilus is used as a model species to evaluate the effectiveness of vivipary in the establishment of offspring. Vivipary is a relatively common phenomenon in Cuban cacti from

Predator density changes can alter behaviours of prey, and removal of predators is expected to free prey from predation risks. Due to pest management activities within predator exclusion fences in central-western Queensland, Australia, dingoes (Canis familiaris) have been actively controlled in places also inhabited by endangered yellow-footed rock-wallabies (YFRW, Petrogale xanthopus). These pest

Climate variability and change have intensely affected agricultural systems, which are the major sources of livelihood for rural families in developing countries. Given the fact that climatic events are projected to become more pervasive, it is necessary to address the resilience of rural households and their complementary choices for adaptation to climate change. Despite raising awareness about the

The connectivity between landscapes is an important aspect of the conservation of small and isolated populations of carnivores. We studied the natal dispersal pattern of Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) using motion-sensitive cameras and intensive searches from April 2005 to June 2011 in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR), western India. We tracked 29 tiger cubs (18 males, 11 females) born during

The genus Ammopiptanthus is endangered species in China, which includes Ammopiptanthus mongolicus and Ammopiptanthus nanus, they are mainly distributed in the arid and semi-arid areas of northwest China. They play a significant role in the ecosystems, and they are valuable herbal medicines. However, in recent years, global climate change and human interference have resulted in drastic decreases in

This study examined whether soil microbial composition would respond differently between alpine meadow and desert grasslands located in the Qilian mountain range in the semi-arid region of northwestern China. The measurements were carried out along a soil profile up to 40 cm. The total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC), soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil water content (SWC) were significantly higher

Identifying the impact of agricultural management on soil invertebrates is still a challenge to research in the area of soil ecology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diversity, richness, abundance and uniformity of the pedofauna in areas of traditional agroforestry systems involving burning (with intensive use, and after six and nine years of fallow) and a less-impacted system (BUSH) in the

The enhancement of water efficiency requires controlling the high demand for irrigated agriculture which depends on improving the capabilities to accurately simulate the water cycle and its components. Among these, evapotranspiration is widely studied to estimate reference evapotranspiration (ET0) but the performance and accuracy of the estimates vary. Moreover, these estimates require some hardly

In semi-arid areas, such as the Northeast Region of Brazil (NRB), droughts lead to reduction of reservoir volumes and to increase of nutrient concentrations. The goal was to evaluate the trophic state index (TSI) of semi-arid reservoirs due to interannual variations of precipitation and stored volume. The study included 65 reservoirs in 8 NRB-based watersheds for 2008–2017. From 2013, NRB faced a severe

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

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

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

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

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