-
Responses of plant diversity and soil microorganism diversity to nitrogen addition in the desert steppe, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2024-03-04 He Ye, Mei Hong, Xuehui Xu, Zhiwei Liang, Na Jiang, Nare Tu, Zhendan Wu
Nitrogen (N) deposition is a significant aspect of global change and poses a threat to terrestrial biodiversity. The impact of plant-soil microbe relationships to N deposition has recently attracted considerable attention. Soil microorganisms have been proven to provide nutrients for specific plant growth, especially in nutrient-poor desert steppe ecosystems. However, the effects of N deposition on
-
Ecological problems and ecological restoration zoning of the Aral Sea J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Anming Bao, Tao Yu, Wenqiang Xu, Jiaqiang Lei, Guli Jiapaer, Xi Chen, Tojibaev Komiljon, Shomurodov Khabibullo, Xabibullaev B. Sagidullaevich, Idirisov Kamalatdin
The Aral Sea was the fourth largest lake in the world but it has shrunk dramatically as a result of irrational human activities, triggering the “Aral Sea ecological crisis”. The ecological problems of the Aral Sea have attracted widespread attention, and the alleviation of the Aral Sea ecological crisis has reached a consensus among the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan
-
Spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem services and their trade-offs and synergies against the background of the gully control and land consolidation project on the Loess Plateau, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Jing Wang, Yulu Wei, Biao Peng, Siqi Liu, Jianfeng Li
Studying the spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem services and their interrelationships on the Loess Plateau against the background of the gully control and land consolidation (GCLC) project has significant implications for ecological protection and quality development of the Yellow River Basin. Therefore, in this study, we took Yan’an City, Shaanxi Province of China, as the study area, selected
-
Ecological effect of the plantation of Sabina vulgaris in the Mu Us Sandy Land, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Weige Nan, Zhibao Dong, Zhengchao Zhou, Qiang Li, Guoxiang Chen
Vegetation restoration through artificial plantation is an effective method to combat desertification, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. This study aimed to explore the ecological effect of the plantation of Sabina vulgaris on soil physical and chemical properties on the southeastern fringe of the Mu Us Sandy Land, China. We collected soil samples from five depth layers (0–20, 20–40, 40–60, 60–80
-
Spatiotemporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of land use/land cover (LULC) changes in the Jinghe River Basin, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Yinping Wang, Rengui Jiang, Mingxiang Yang, Jiancang Xie, Yong Zhao, Fawen Li, Xixi Lu
Understanding the trajectories and driving mechanisms behind land use/land cover (LULC) changes is essential for effective watershed planning and management. This study quantified the net change, exchange, total change, and transfer rate of LULC in the Jinghe River Basin (JRB), China using LULC data from 2000 to 2020. Through trajectory analysis, knowledge maps, chord diagrams, and standard deviation
-
Spatiotemporal changes of gross primary productivity and its response to drought in the Mongolian Plateau under climate change J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Xuqin Zhao, Min Luo, Fanhao Meng, Chula Sa, Shanhu Bao, Yuhai Bao
Gross primary productivity (GPP) of vegetation is an important constituent of the terrestrial carbon sinks and is significantly influenced by drought. Understanding the impact of droughts on different types of vegetation GPP provides insight into the spatiotemporal variation of terrestrial carbon sinks, aiding efforts to mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change. In this study, we utilized
-
A CMIP6-based assessment of regional climate change in the Chinese Tianshan Mountains J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2024-02-02 Xinyu Liu, Xuemei Li, Zhengrong Zhang, Kaixin Zhao, Lanhai Li
Climate warming profoundly affects hydrological changes, agricultural production, and human society. Arid and semi-arid areas of China are currently displaying a marked trend of warming and wetting. The Chinese Tianshan Mountains (CTM) have a high climate sensitivity, rendering the region particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate warming. In this study, we used monthly average temperature and
-
Parkland trees on smallholder farms ameliorate soil physical-chemical properties in the semi-arid area of Tigray, Ethiopia J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2024-01-01
Abstract Proposed agroforestry options should begin with the species that farmers are most familiar with, which would be the native multipurpose trees that have evolved under smallholder farms and socioeconomic conditions. The African birch (Anogeissus leiocarpa (DC.) Guill. & Perr.) and pink jacaranda (Stereospermum kunthianum Cham.) trees are the dominant species in the agroforestry parkland system
-
Regulation effects of water and nitrogen on yield, water, and nitrogen use efficiency of wolfberry J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2024-01-01
Abstract Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) is important for health care and ecological protection. However, it faces problems of low productivity and resource utilization during planting. Exploring reasonable models for water and nitrogen management is important for solving these problems. Based on field trials in 2021 and 2022, this study analyzed the effects of controlling soil water and nitrogen application
-
Land use change and its driving factors in the ecological function area: A case study in the Hedong Region of the Gansu Province, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2024-01-01
Abstract Land use and cover change (LUCC) is important for the provision of ecosystem services. An increasing number of recent studies link LUCC processes to ecosystem services and human well-being at different scales recently. However, the dynamic of land use and its drivers receive insufficient attention within ecological function areas, particularly in quantifying the dynamic roles of climate change
-
Response of ecosystem carbon storage to land use change from 1985 to 2050 in the Ningxia Section of Yellow River Basin, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 Yanmin Lin, Zhirui Hu, Wenhui Li, Haonan Chen, Fang Wang, Xiongxiong Nan, Xuelong Yang, Wenjun Zhang
Regional sustainable development necessitates a holistic understanding of spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem carbon storage (ECS), particularly in ecologically sensitive areas with arid and semi-arid climate. In this study, we calculated the ECS in the Ningxia Section of Yellow River Basin, China from 1985 to 2020 using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model
-
Evaluation of the water conservation function in the Ili River Delta of Central Asia based on the InVEST model J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 Yijie Cao, Yonggang Ma, Anming Bao, Cun Chang, Tie Liu
The Ili River Delta (IRD) is an ecological security barrier for the Lake Balkhash and an important water conservation area in Central Asia. In this study, we selected the IRD as a typical research area, and simulated the water yield and water conservation from 1975 to 2020 using the water yield module of the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. We further analyzed
-
Soil seed bank is affected by transferred soil thickness and properties in the reclaimed coal mine in the Qilian Mountains, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 Jingyi Yang, Weicheng Luo, Wenzhi Zhao, Jiliang Liu, Dejin Wang, Guang Li
Reclamation of lands abandoned after mining in mountain areas is critical to erosion control, safety from landslides, and ecological protection of mountain ecosystems. However, little is known about alpine coal mine reclamation using the soil seed bank as a potential source for revegetation. We collected samples of persistent soil seed bank for germination experiments from nine reclaimed sites with
-
Estimation and inter-comparison of infiltration models in the agricultural area of the Mitidja Plain, Algeria J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 Amina Mazighi, Hind Meddi, Mohamed Meddi, Ishak Abdi, Giovanni Ravazzani, Mouna Feki
Infiltration is an important part of the hydrological cycle, and it is one of the main abstractions accounted for in the rainfall-runoff modeling. The main purpose of this study is to compare the infiltration models that were used to assess the infiltration rate of the Mitidja Plain in Algeria. Field infiltration tests were conducted at 40 different sites using a double ring infiltrometer. Five statistical
-
Integrating stable isotopes and factor analysis to delineate the groundwater provenance and pollution sources in the northwestern part of the Amman-Al Zarqa Basin, Jordan J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 Mutawakil Obeidat, Ahmad Al-Ajlouni, Eman Bani-Khaled, Muheeb Awawdeh, Muna Abu-Dalo
Globally, groundwater contamination by nitrate is one of the most widespread environmental problems, particularly in arid and semiarid areas, which are characterized by low amounts of rainfall and groundwater recharge. The stable isotope composition of groundwater (δ2H-H2O and δ18O-H2O) and dissolved nitrate (\({\delta ^{15}}{\rm{N}} - {\rm{N}}{{\rm{O}}_{{3^ - }}}\) and \({\delta ^{18}}{\rm{O}} -
-
Analyzing environmental flow supply in the semi-arid area through integrating drought analysis and optimal operation of reservoir J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-12-01
Abstract This study proposes a novel form of environmental reservoir operation through integrating environmental flow supply, drought analysis, and evolutionary optimization. This study demonstrates that simultaneous supply of downstream environmental flow of reservoir as well as water demand is challenging in the semi-arid area especially in dry years. In this study, water supply and environmental
-
Effects of degradation and species composition on soil seed density in the alpine grasslands, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-12-01
Abstract Grassland degradation can alter the structure and function of ecosystem and soil seed bank. Therefore, estimating the role of soil seed bank in vegetation regeneration of degraded grasslands is crucial. We selected grasslands with three levels of degradation, namely non-degraded (ND), mildly degraded (MD), and heavily degraded (HD) to analyze the effect of grassland degradation on soil seed
-
Subsurface irrigation with ceramic emitters improves wolfberry yield and economic benefits on the Tibetan Plateau, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-11-22 Mengxue Han, Lin Zhang, Xiaoqiang Liu
Climate warming has led to the expansion of arable land at high altitudes, but it has also increased the demand for water use efficiency (WUE). To address this issue, the development of water-saving irrigation technology has become crucial in improving water productivity and economic returns. This study aimed to assess the impacts of three irrigation methods on water productivity and economic returns
-
Multiple assessments, source determination, and health risk apportionment of heavy metal(loid)s in the groundwater of the Shule River Basin in northwestern China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-11-22 Xiaohu Wen, Leiming Li, Jun Wu, Jian Lu, Danrui Sheng
Global ecosystems and public health have been greatly impacted by the accumulation of heavy metal(loid)s in water. Source-specific risk apportionment is needed to prevent and manage potential groundwater contamination with heavy metal(loid)s. The heavy metal(loid)s contamination status, water quality, ecological risk, and health risk apportionment of the Shule River Basin groundwater are poorly understood
-
Contribution of groundwater to the formation of sand dunes in the Badain Jaran Desert, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-11-22 Wang Wang, Jiaqi Chen, Jiansheng Chen, Tao Wang, Lucheng Zhan, Yitong Zhang, Xiaohui Ma
The tallest sand dune worldwide is located in the Badain Jaran Desert (BJD), China, and has been standing for thousands of years. Previous studies have conducted limited physical exploration and excavation on the formation of sand dunes and have proposed three viewpoints, that is, bedrock control, wind dominance, and groundwater maintenance with no unified conclusion. Therefore, this study analyzed
-
Evaluation of restoration success in arid rangelands of Iran based on the variation of ecosystem services J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-11-22 Mohsen Sharafatmandrad, Azam Khosravi Mashizi
The plantation of non-native species is one of the most expensive ecological restoration measures in arid and semi-arid areas, while its impacts on local communities are largely ignored. This study assessed the rate of change and the dynamic degree of the economic values of ecosystem services related to local conservation (water yield, stocking rate and aesthetic value) and preserving the future (carbon
-
Combining RUSLE model and the vegetation health index to unravel the relationship between soil erosion and droughts in southeastern Tunisia J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-11-22 Olfa Terwayet Bayouli, Wanchang Zhang, Houssem Terwayet Bayouli
Droughts and soil erosion are among the most prominent climatic driven hazards in drylands, leading to detrimental environmental impacts, such as degraded lands, deteriorated ecosystem services and biodiversity, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. In response to the current lack of studies combining drought conditions and soil erosion processes, in this study, we developed a comprehensive Geographic
-
Effects of dieback on the vegetative, chemical, and physiological status of mangrove forests, Iran J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-11-22 Vahid Farashi Kahnouj, Marzieh Rezai, Rasool Mahdavi, Maryam Moslehi, Saiedeh Eskandari
Mangrove forests are valuable resources in tropical and subtropical regions, which have been faced dieback due to various human activities including rapid expansion of shrimp farming, urban development, and pollution, as well as natural factors such as rising sea level, increasing air temperature, drought, and sharp decrease in rainfall. However, the mechanisms of dieback of mangrove forests are not
-
Monitoring vegetation drought in the nine major river basins of China based on a new developed Vegetation Drought Condition Index J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-11-07 Lili Zhao, Lusheng Li, Yanbin Li, Huayu Zhong, Fang Zhang, Junzhen Zhu, Yibo Ding
The effect of global climate change on vegetation growth is variable. Timely and effective monitoring of vegetation drought is crucial for understanding its dynamics and mitigation, and even regional protection of ecological environments. In this study, we constructed a new drought index (i.e., Vegetation Drought Condition Index (VDCI)) based on precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, soil moisture
-
Spatiotemporal variation of surface albedo and its influencing factors in northern Xinjiang, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-26 Shuai Yuan, Yongqiang Liu, Yan Qin, Kun Zhang
Surface albedo is a quantitative indicator for land surface processes and climate modeling, and plays an important role in surface radiation balance and climate change. In this study, by means of the MCD43A3 surface albedo product developed on the basis of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), we analyzed the spatiotemporal variation, persistence status, land cover type differences
-
Plant growth-promoting properties and anti-fungal activity of endophytic bacterial strains isolated from Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta in arid lands J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-25 Mengqi Zhao, Huan Su, Yin Huang, Rashidin Abdugheni, Jinbiao Ma, Jiangtao Gao, Fei Guo, Li Li
Endophytes, as crucial components of plant microbial communities, significantly contribute to enhancing the absorption of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus by their hosts, promote plant growth, and degrade pathogenic fungal mycelia. In this study, an experiment was conducted in August 2022 to explore the growth-promoting potential of endophytic bacterial strains isolated from two medical plant
-
Distribution patterns of fire regime in the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve, West Africa J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-13 Omobayo G. Zoffoun, Chabi A. M. S. Djagoun, Etotépé A. Sogbohossou
Pendjari Biosphere Reserve (PBR), a primary component of the W-Arly-Pendjari transboundary biosphere reserve, represents the largest intact wild ecosystem and pristine biodiversity spot in West Africa. This savannah ecosystem has long been affected by fire, which is the main ecological driver for the annual rhythm of life in the reserve. Understanding the fire distribution patterns will help to improve
-
Nitrogen application levels based on critical nitrogen absorption regulate processing tomatoes productivity, nitrogen uptake, nitrate distributions, and root growth in Xinjiang, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-13 Bo Jing, Wenjuan Shi, Ming Diao
The unreasonable nitrogen (N) supply and low productivity are the main factors restricting the sustainable development of processing tomatoes. In addition, the mechanism by which the N application strategy affects root growth and nitrate distributions in processing tomatoes remains unclear. In this study, we applied four N application levels to a field (including 0 (N0), 200 (N200), 300 (N300), and
-
A review of science–policy interface for water governance in the Caspian Sea J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-13 Apoorva Bamal, Sogol Moradian, Ali Torabi-Haghighi, Agnieszka Indiana-Olbert
Science and policy have been interlinked for decades and perform essential nexus conditions in the governing aspects of environmental scenarios. This review paper examines the present challenges in the science–policy interface in terms of water governance in the Caspian Sea and identifies effective conditions that may be used in the current context to enhance the mechanism. The evaluation of the science–policy
-
Spatial distribution and ecological risk of heavy metals and their source apportionment in soils from a typical mining area, Inner Mongolia, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-13 Shicheng Xie, Tian Lan, An Xing, Chen Chen, Chang Meng, Shuiping Wang, Mingming Xu, Mei Hong
Determining the distributions and sources of heavy metals in soils and assessing ecological risks are fundamental tasks in the control and management of pollution in mining areas. In this study, we selected 244 sampling sites around a typical lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) mining area in eastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China and measured the content of six heavy metals, including cuprum (Cu),
-
Nutrient coordination mechanism of tiger nut induced by rhizosphere soil nutrient variation in an arid area, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-13 Jin Tan, Xiuqin Wu, Yaning Li, Jieyu Shi, Xu Li
Tiger nut is a bioenergy crop planted in arid areas of northern China to supply oil and adjust the planting structure. However, in the western region of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, less water resources have resulted in a scarcity of available farmland, which has posed a huge obstacle to planting tiger nut. Cultivation of tiger nut on marginal land can effectively solve this problem. To
-
Combination of artificial zeolite and microbial fertilizer to improve mining soils in an arid area of Inner Mongolia, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-12 Wenye Li, Jianfeng Zhang, Shuangshuang Song, Yao Liang, Baoping Sun, Yi Wu, Xiao Mao, Yachao Lin
Restoration of mining soils is important to the vegetation and environment. This study aimed to explore the variations in soil nutrient contents, microbial abundance, and biomass under different gradients of substrate amendments in mining soils to select effective measures. Soil samples were collected from the Bayan Obo mining region in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Contents of soil organic
-
Environmental significance and hydrochemical characteristics of rivers in the western region of the Altay Mountains, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-12 Shuangshuang Liu, Feiteng Wang, Chunhai Xu, Lin Wang, Huilin Li
Analysis of environmental significance and hydrochemical characteristics of river water in mountainous regions is vital for ensuring water security. In this study, we collected a total of 164 water samples in the western region of the Altay Mountains, China, in 2021. We used principal component analysis and enrichment factor analysis to examine the chemical properties and spatiotemporal variations
-
Effects of loading rate on root pullout performance of two plants in the eastern Loess Plateau, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-12 Chaobo Zhang, Rong Li, Jing Jiang, Qihong Yang
Root pullout performance of plants is an important mechanical basis for soil reinforcement by plant roots in the semi-arid areas. Studies have shown that it is affected by plant factors (species, ages, root geometry, etc.) and soil factors (soil types, soil moisture, soil bulk densities, etc.). However, the effects of loading rates on root pullout performance are not well studied. To explore the mechanical
-
Response of soil respiration to short-term changes in precipitation and nitrogen addition in a desert steppe J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-12 Jinpeng Ma, Danbo Pang, Wenqiang He, Yaqi Zhang, Mengyao Wu, Xuebin Li, Lin Chen
Changes in precipitation and nitrogen (N) addition may significantly affect the processes of soil carbon (C) cycle in terrestrial ecosystems, such as soil respiration. However, relatively few studies have investigated the effects of changes in precipitation and N addition on soil respiration in the upper soil layer in desert steppes. In this study, we conducted a control experiment that involved a
-
Review and prospect of soil compound erosion J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-12 Wenqian Yang, Gangfeng Zhang, Huimin Yang, Degen Lin, Peijun Shi
Soil erosion is one of the most serious environmental issues constraining the sustainable development of human society and economies. Soil compound erosion is the result of the alternation or interaction between two or more erosion forces. In recent years, fluctuations and extreme changes in climatic factors (air temperature, precipitation, wind speed, etc.) have led to an increase in the intensity
-
Leguminosae plants play a key role in affecting soil physical-chemical and biological properties during grassland succession after farmland abandonment in the Loess Plateau, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-10-12 Lin Sun, Zhouchang Yu, Xingfang Tian, Ying Zhang, Jiayi Shi, Rong Fu, Yujie Liang, Wei Zhang
Leguminosae are an important part of terrestrial ecosystems and play a key role in promoting soil nutrient cycling and improving soil properties. However, plant composition and species diversity change rapidly during the process of succession, the effect of leguminosae on soil physical-chemical and biological properties is still unclear. This study investigated the changes in the composition of plant
-
Wind regime features and their impacts on the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River on the Tibetan Plateau, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-09-12 Yan Zhang, Zhengcai Zhang, Pengfei Ma, Kaijia Pan, Duo Zha, Dingmei Chen, Caisheng Shen, Aimin Liang
The wide valley of the Yarlung Zangbo River is one of the most intense areas in terms of aeolian activity on the Tibetan Plateau, China. In the past, the evaluation of the intensity of aeolian activity in the Qushui–Sangri section of the Yarlung Zangbo River Valley was mainly based on data from the old meteorological stations, especially in non-sandy areas. In 2020, six new meteorological stations
-
Projecting future precipitation change across the semi-arid Borana lowland, southern Ethiopia J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-08-24 Mitiku A. Worku, Gudina L. Feyisa, Kassahun T. Beketie, Emmanuel Garbolino
Climate change caused by past, current, and future greenhouse gas emissions has become a major concern for scientists in the field in many countries and regions of the world. This study modelled future precipitation change by downscaling a set of large-scale climate predictor variables (predictors) from the second generation Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2) under two Representative Concentration
-
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improve biomass, photosynthesis, and water use efficiency of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller under different water levels J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-08-19 Teame G. Kebede, Emiru Birhane, Kiros-Meles Ayimut, Yemane G. Egziabher
Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller is a CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) plant with an extraordinary capacity to adapt to drought stress by its ability to fix atmospheric CO2 at nighttime, store a significant amount of water in cladodes, and reduce root growth. Plants that grow in moisture-stress conditions with thick and less fine root hairs have a strong symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
-
Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on soil microbial community structure and ecological processes in the farmland of Chinese Loess Plateau J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-08-19 Zhaoyang Kou, Chunyue Li, Shun Chang, Yu Miao, Wenting Zhang, Qianxue Li, Tinghui Dang, Yi Wang
Microorganisms regulate the responses of terrestrial ecosystems to anthropogenic nutrient inputs. The escalation of anthropogenic activities has resulted in a rise in the primary terrestrial constraining elements, namely nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Nevertheless, the specific mechanisms governing the influence of soil microbial community structure and ecological processes in ecologically vulnerable
-
Spatiotemporal variations in ecological quality of Otindag Sandy Land based on a new modified remote sensing ecological index J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-08-19 Xiaohan Zhao, Dianchen Han, Qi Lu, Yunpeng Li, Fangmin Zhang
Otindag Sandy Land in China is an important ecological barrier to Beijing; the changes in its ecological quality are major concerns for sustainable development and planning of this area. Based on principal component analysis and path analysis, we first generated a modified remote sensing ecological index (MRSEI) coupled with satellite and ground observational data during 2001–2020 that integrated four
-
Characteristics of snow cover distribution along railway subgrade and the protective effect of snow fences J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-08-19 Jia Lei, Jianjun Cheng, Li Gao, Benteng Ma, Yuanfeng An, Hongguang Dong
Railways built in cold, snowy, and lightly populated areas are subjected to wind and snow disasters. In this study, we selected a snow hazard prevention and control section of the Altay–Zhundong Railway in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China as the research object. We investigated the deposited snowfall variation characteristics on the two sides and in the embankment pavement area of snow fences
-
Dividing the transit wind speeds into intervals as a favorable methodology for analyzing the relationship between wind speed and the aerodynamic impedance of vegetation in semiarid grasslands J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-08-19 Ruishen Li, Haifeng Pei, Shengwei Zhang, Fengming Li, Xi Lin, Shuai Wang, Lin Yang
In grassland ecosystems, the aerodynamic roughness (Z0) and frictional wind speed (u*) contribute to the aerodynamic impedance of the grassland canopy. Thus, they are often used in the studies of wind erosion and evapotranspiration. However, the effect of wind speed and grazing measures on the aerodynamic impedance of the grassland canopy has received less analysis. In this study, we monitored wind
-
Saxicolous lichen communities in three basins associated with mining activity in northwestern Argentina J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-08-19 Juan M. Hernández, Renato A. García, Edith R. Filippini, Cecilia Estrabou, Martha S. Cañas, Juan M. Rodríguez
Mining activity affects the vegetation and soils of the ecosystems. However, the effects of mining activity on saxicolous lichen communities are less concerned. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize saxicolous lichen communities in three basins (Vis-Vis River basin, Poteros River basin, and Capillitas River basin) surrounding metalliferous mining projects of different types of operation and
-
Long-term light grazing does not change soil organic carbon stability and stock in biocrust layer in the hilly regions of drylands J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-08-01 Xinxin Ma, Yunge Zhao, Kai Yang, Jiao Ming, Yu Qiao, Mingxiang Xu, Xinghui Pan
Livestock grazing is the most extensive land use in global drylands and one of the most extensive stressors of biological soil crusts (biocrusts). Despite widespread concern about the importance of biocrusts for global carbon (C) cycling, little is known about whether and how long-term grazing alters soil organic carbon (SOC) stability and stock in the biocrust layer. To assess the responses of SOC
-
Soil quality assessment for desertification based on multi-indicators with the best-worst method in a semi-arid ecosystem J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-07-15 Orhan Dengiz, İnci Demirağ Turan
Since there are some signs of land degradation and desertification showing how soil sustainability is threatened, it is crucial to create a soil quality index (SQI) model in the semi-arid Çorum Basin, situated between the Black Sea and Anatolia Region, Central Turkey. The primary aims of the study are: (1) to determine SQI values of the micro-basin in terms of land degradation and desertification.
-
Remote sensing monitoring of the recent rapid increase in cultivation activities and its effects on desertification in the Mu Us Desert, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-07-15 Hongyan Zhao, Changzhen Yan, Sen Li, Yahui Wang
The recent ecological improvement in the Mu Us Desert of China, largely attributed to large-scale afforestation projects, has created new opportunities for cultivation activities. However, the subsequent rapid increase in reclamation on desertification land and its impact on desertification have raised concerns. In this study, we first extracted data on cultivated land and desertification land in 1975
-
Enhanced soil moisture improves vegetation growth in an arid grassland of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-07-15 Hui Zhang, Giri R. Kattel, Guojie Wang, Xiaowei Chuai, Yuyang Zhang, Lijuan Miao
Climate change impacts on grasslands that cover a quarter of the global land area, have become unprecedented during the 21st century. One of the important ecological realms, arid grasslands of northern China, which occupy more than 70% of the region’s land area. However, the impact of climate change on vegetation growth in these arid grasslands is not consistent and lacks corresponding quantitative
-
Morphological change and migration of revegetated dunes in the Ketu Sandy Land of the Qinghai Lake, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-07-15 Wangyang Wu, Dengshan Zhang, Lihui Tian, Tingting Shen, Bin Gao, Dehui Yang
Alpine revegetated dunes have been barely researched in terms of morphological change and migration within its regional aeolian environments. To reveal the sand-fixing and land-reforming mechanisms of artificial vegetation, we observed the morphology and migration of four dunes with four revegetated types (Hippophae rhamnoides Linn., Salix cheilophila Schneid., Populus simonii Carr., and Artemisia
-
Nutrient resorption and its influencing factors of typical desert plants in different habitats on the northern margin of the Tarim Basin, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-07-15 Chongpeng Zhou, Lu Gong, Xue Wu, Yan Luo
The resorption of nutrients from senescent leaves allows plants to conserve and recycle nutrients. To explore the adaptation strategies of desert plants to nutrient-limited environments, we selected four typical desert plants (Populus euphratica Oliv., Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb., Glycyrrhiza inflata Batal., and Alhagi camelorum Fisch.) growing in the desert area of the northern margin of the Tarim
-
Correlation analysis between the Aral Sea shrinkage and the Amu Darya River J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-07-15 Min Wang, Xi Chen, Liangzhong Cao, Alishir Kurban, Haiyang Shi, Nannan Wu, Anwar Eziz, Xiuliang Yuan, Philippe De Maeyer
The shrinkage of the Aral Sea, which is closely related to the Amu Darya River, strongly affects the sustainability of the local natural ecosystem, agricultural production, and human well-being. In this study, we used the Bayesian Estimator of Abrupt change, Seasonal change, and Trend (BEAST) model to detect the historical change points in the variation of the Aral Sea and the Amu Darya River and analyse
-
Improved drought tolerance in Festuca ovina L. using plant growth promoting bacteria J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-06-23 Fateme Rigi, Morteza Saberi, Mahdieh Ebrahimi
Numerous ecological factors influence a plant’s ability to live and grow, in which dryness is a substantial constraint on plant growth in arid and semi-arid areas. In response to a specific environmental stress, plants can use the most effective bacteria to support and facilitate their growth and development. Today, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is widely used to reduce drought stress
-
Seasonal variations in glacier velocity in the High Mountain Asia region during 2015–2020 J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-06-23 Zhen Zhang, Yangyang Xu, Shiyin Liu, Jing Ding, Jinbiao Zhao
Velocity is an important component of glacier dynamics and directly reflects the response of glaciers to climate change. As a result, an accurate determination of seasonal variation in glacier velocity is very important in understanding the annual variation in glacier dynamics. However, few studies of glacier velocity in the High Mountain Asia (HMA) region were done. Along these lines, in this work
-
Modelling the dead fuel moisture content in a grassland of Ergun City, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-06-23 Chang Chang, Yu Chang, Meng Guo, Yuanman Hu
The dead fuel moisture content (DFMC) is the key driver leading to fire occurrence. Accurately estimating the DFMC could help identify locations facing fire risks, prioritise areas for fire monitoring, and facilitate timely deployment of fire-suppression resources. In this study, the DFMC and environmental variables, including air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, rainfall
-
Do aeolian deposits and sand encroachment intensity shape patterns of vegetation diversity and plant functional traits in desert pavements? J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-06-23 M’hammed Bouallala, Souad Neffar, Lyès Bradai, Haroun Chenchouni
The effects of sand encroachment on composition, diversity, and functional patterns of vegetation in drylands are rarely studied, and yet addressing these aspects is important to deepen our understanding of the biodiversity conservation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sand encroachment on plant functional biodiversity of desert pavements (gravel deserts) in the Sahara Desert of Algeria
-
Estimation of aboveground biomass of arboreal species in the semi-arid region of Brazil using SAR (synthetic aperture radar) images J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-06-23 Janisson B. de Jesus, Tatiana M. Kuplich, Íkaro D. de C. Barreto, Fernando L. Hillebrand, Cristiano N. da Rosa
The Caatinga biome is an important ecosystem in the semi-arid region of Brazil. It has significantly degraded due to human activities and is currently a region undergoing desertification. Thus, monitoring the variation in the Caatinga biome has become essential for its sustainable development. However, traditional methods for estimating aboveground biomass (AGB) are time-consuming and destructive.
-
Optimization of growth medium for microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) treatment of desert sand J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-06-10 Monika Dagliya, Neelima Satyam, Ankit Garg
Wind-induced sand erosion is a natural process, and can have several negative impacts on human health, environment, and economy. To mitigate the wind-induced sand erosion, an environmental friendly technique that helps to bind soil particles is desirable. The microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) treatment has lately become renowned and a viable alternative to enhance the binding
-
Stem sap flow of Haloxylon ammodendron at different ages and its response to physical factors in the Minqin oasis-desert transition zone, China J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-06-05 Yuquan Qiang, Jinchun Zhang, Xianying Xu, Hujun Liu, Xiaofeng Duan
Haloxylon ammodendron, with its tolerance of drought, high temperature, and salt alkali conditions, is one of the main sand-fixing plant species in the oasis-desert transition zone in China. This study used the TDP30 (where TDP is the thermal dissipation probe) to measure hourly and daily variations in the stem sap flow velocity of H. ammodendron at three age-classes (10, 15, and 20 years old, which
-
Effects of drought treatment on photosystem II activity in the ephemeral plant Erodium oxyrhinchum J. Arid Land (IF 3.0) Pub Date : 2023-05-27 Yingying Chen, Yajun Lin, Xiaobing Zhou, Jing Zhang, Chunhong Yang, Yuanming Zhang
Drought is a critical limiting factor affecting the growth and development of plants in arid and semi-arid areas. Photosynthesis, one of the most important physiological processes of plants, can be significantly inhibited by drought. Photosystem II (PSII) is considered the main attack target when photosynthesis is affected by drought. To clarify how PSII components of the ephemeral plant Erodium oxyrhinchum