Journal of Arid Environments最新文献

{"title":"Estimation of carbon stocks in the areas of a seasonally dry tropical forest in the Brazilian semi-arid region","authors":"Maiara Pedral dos Santos ,&nbsp;Matheus Magalhães Silva Moura ,&nbsp;Alexandre de Siqueira Pinto ,&nbsp;Aldo Torres Sales ,&nbsp;Eunice Maia de Andrade ,&nbsp;Rômulo Simões Cezar Menezes ,&nbsp;Claudinei Oliveira dos Santos ,&nbsp;Antônio Samuel Alves da Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105271","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105271","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In addition to its ecological importance, the Caatinga biome, one of the most extensive seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) in the world, has a relevant socioeconomic role as it is used as a primary natural resource by local communities. However, inadequate ecosystem management practices have resulted in gradual loss of natural vegetation in this ecosystem. Carbon stock estimation is a parameter that can contribute as a support tool for managing and maintaining the few remaining natural vegetated areas. In this study, we calibrated and validated the CENTURY model to simulate carbon stocks in areas of the Caatinga, in the state of Pernambuco, and compared the predictive capacity of the CENTURY model with available estimates. In the validation dataset, the average for biomass stocks was 33.1 Mg C ha⁻¹, this value is close to those observed in the literature for the region. The model also performed well when estimating carbon stocks in the soil (r² = 0.79, p = 0.017). Ecosystem modeling combined with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a promising tool for estimating carbon stocks in the Caatinga, where field sampling campaigns are generally expensive and have scarce research funding opportunities. Furthermore, it also allows the evaluation of the effect of environmental changes on C stocks in long-term studies, which is essential for creating and implementing public policies to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change on the ecosystem. However, additional efforts are needed to improve C estimates, especially in areas with a strongly negative water balance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"225 ","pages":"Article 105271"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Socio-economic impact of Woodfuel production in dryland environment of Ethiopia","authors":"Gonche Girma ,&nbsp;Abebaw Shimeles","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105272","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105272","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Policymakers and other planners often discuss woodfuel production in relation to environmental sustainability, energy, and livelihood. There is a growing awareness of the negative environmental impacts of woodfuel, such as deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. However, the relationship between woodfuel production and other socio-economic and livelihood issues has been less explored. This study aims to investigate the socioeconomic implications of woodfuel production in Ethiopia's dry woodlands. A total of 1114 respondents were selected from households that produce woodfuel and those that do not. Data was collected through key informant interviews, focus groups, and household surveys. The study examined the impact of woodfuel production on total annual cash income and overall livelihood assets using a propensity score matching (PSM) model. Woodfuel contributes significantly to household income, with charcoal accounting for 35.9% and firewood for 6.6% of total yearly cash income. On average, woodfuel makes up between 4.5% and 70% of total yearly cash revenue for households. The impact of woodfuel production on households' yearly cash income and overall livelihood assets was Ethiopian Birr 21,673.63($387) and Ethiopian Birr 10,304.21($184), respectively. The findings suggest that organizations and planners should prioritize sustainable woodfuel production by balancing socioeconomic, institutional, and technological with environmental impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"225 ","pages":"Article 105272"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of climatic events and land-use land-cover changes on evapotranspiration in a semiarid region of South Africa","authors":"Wendy Ludewig,&nbsp;Cletah Shoko","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105268","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105268","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climatic extremes remain serious threats to various processes of the hydrological cycle including evapotranspiration (ET). This study determined the spatial and temporal variations of ET for different land use land cover (LULC) types and the influence of certain climatic phenomena Western Cape. The study used Landsat 8 images, for ET estimation (with the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) and to map the various LULC types using Support Vector Machine during El Nino in 2015–2016, normal year in 2019–2020, and La Nina in 2020–2021. The results show an increase in ET during La Nina (2.39 mm/day) and El Nino (2.36 mm/day) years compared to the normal year (1.62 mm/day). The increase in ET during El Nino and La Nina years could be caused by the increased temperature and rainfall. Agriculture was the most prominent LULC type covering 62.87% and bare land was the least covering 0.64%. For the whole study period, water had the lowest ET (average of 2.72 mm/day in summer and 1.87 mm/day in winter), whereas agricultural land had the highest ET (average ET of 3.74 mm/day in summer and 2.17 mm/day in winter). These results highlight the effect of climatic events on water loss for water resources allocation especially during extreme climatic events.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"225 ","pages":"Article 105268"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Facilitation and its effect on vital rates of the living rock cactus Ariocarpus retusus","authors":"Diana Cárdenas-Ramos ,&nbsp;Vinicio J. Sosa ,&nbsp;Pedro Luis Valverde ,&nbsp;María C. Mandujano","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105265","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105265","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nurse plants modify environments conditions under their canopies, facilitating recruitment and benefiting protected plant. This effect varies with the life cycle stages and characteristics of interacting plants. We conducted a demographic study to understand the impacts of nurse plants on the vital rates of <em>Ariocarpus retusus</em> (Cactaceae) during two years. We identified the location of the cacti (open space, biotic nurse or abiotic nurse) and calculated their relative growth rates (RGRs). The population is numerically stable, with a tendency for growth in both years of study (λ = 1.008 and λ = 1.044). The highest sensitivity was in stasis, and the greatest vulnerability was in the seed to seedling transition. The RGR depends more on life stage than on microhabitat, it is high in seedlings and juveniles but drops below zero in adults. The association with biotic nurses is rare but reduces mortality and favors stasis. <em>Fouquieria splendens</em>, <em>Hechtia sanchezii</em> and <em>Jatropha dioica</em> supports many established cacti under its canopy, although they are not dominant species. Nurse plants' effects on fecundity vary and there is high fecundity in cacti associated with <em>Turnera diffusa</em>. Leaf phenology of this species may determine soil nutrient availability through leaf litter, providing resources for reproduction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"225 ","pages":"Article 105265"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Nexus between Land Use/Cover changes and Land Surface Temperature: Remote sensing based Two-Decadal Analysis","authors":"Pouyan Dehghan Rahimabadi ,&nbsp;Bing Liu ,&nbsp;Hossein Azarnivand ,&nbsp;Arash Malekian ,&nbsp;Hadi Eskandari Damaneh","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of Remote Sensing (RS) data is crucial for promptly detecting and monitoring changes in both short and long term, providing real time information on Land Use/Cover (LULC), Land Surface Temperature (LST), and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), adapting spatio-temporal variations. The primary focus of this study is to assess the effect of LULC changes on LST in Tashk-Bakhtegan and Maharloo (TBM) lakes basin, Iran, within 2001, 2011, and 2021, using MODIS data. Specifically, five main LULC classes involving: water body, rangeland, cropland, urban area, and bareland were identified. Beside accuracy and transition of LULC maps using User Accuracy (UA), Producer Accuracy (PA), and Kappa Coefficient (KC), the analysis included changes in LULC, Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and LST, as well as the relationship among them when vegetation cover was at its peak. Moreover, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was performed to group these variables using Duncan's test. The results showed that the accuracy of LULC maps were more than 84% for all the years. Furthermore, the conversion of croplands to rangelands showed the most significant changes, with a total of 1311.38 km² during 2001–2021. Average EVI remained almost stable across the total area, whereas average LST generally increased by 0.65 °C. Barelands consistently exhibited the highest temperatures in all the years, followed by urban areas. While no significant changes were observed in the EVI averages, significant changes were observed in the LST across all LULC classes in different years. The results also indicated a consistent negative correlation between LST and EVI, stronger in croplands than rangelands, with Spearman's correlation coefficient of −0.714, −0.674, and −0.623 over the total area in 2001, 2011, and 2021, respectively. The findings are crucial for land planners to comprehend the effects of LULC changes on LST to adopt appropriate strategies in the TBM lakes basin.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"225 ","pages":"Article 105269"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecosystems managed for wildlife and livestock: Contrasting herbivore impacts in a heavily grazed African savanna","authors":"Michael D. Voysey ,&nbsp;Sally Archibald ,&nbsp;Mathew A. Harris ,&nbsp;Gareth P. Hempson ,&nbsp;Michelle Greve","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105267","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105267","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Replacement of diverse wild herbivore assemblages by livestock across expansive regions of African savanna grassland is predicted to modify tree-grass interactions. Yet, despite the ubiquity of this herbivore regime change, consequences of shifting from wildlife to livestock for savanna ecosystems are poorly resolved. We assessed the effects of livestock grazing on the herbaceous community of a nutrient rich, semi-arid savanna. Direct and indirect impacts - moderated <em>via</em> differences in tree cover - of intensive cattle grazing in communal rangelands, on the herbaceous community were contrasted with heavily utilized wild herbivore grazing systems. Communal rangelands showed a more than two-fold increase in woody cover compared to wildlife areas. Herbaceous differences between wildlife and livestock areas were driven primarily by changes in the area beneath trees, and differences in how densely wooded areas are used by wildlife and livestock. In wildlife systems, grazing intensity was much lower below than away from tree canopies, whereas in livestock systems grazing intensity was high irrespective of tree canopy presence. Away from trees, structure and functional traits of herbaceous vegetation were markedly similar between the two herbivory systems. In our study area, communal rangelands used by livestock, predominantly cattle, are not a degraded subset of wildlife areas but support near equivalent diversity, although with different grass and forb species, and warrants consideration when evaluating their contribution to biodiversity conservation in the region. Nonetheless, higher bare ground cover and the lack of tall-grass reserves mean that communally managed rangelands with low grazer diversity might be more sensitive to intra- and inter-annual climate variability since they are associated with lower forage variability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"225 ","pages":"Article 105267"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142433219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Macroinvertebrate assemblage variations among aquatic habitat types across the arid Central Andes (Northwest Argentina)","authors":"Marcela Alejandra De Paul ,&nbsp;Raquel M. Gleiser ,&nbsp;Juan Pablo Villafañe","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105266","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105266","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><strong>Andean macroinvertebrate diversity, habitat association and trophic structure</strong>. The Central Andes harbour globally unique species due to its complex topography, altitude gradients, and mountain orientations. Puna and High-Andean ecoregions of Argentina, part of the Central Andes, are among the world's driest areas. Despite the recognized importance for biodiversity of the scarce Andean aquatic ecosystems, knowledge about their invertebrate fauna remains limited. The objective of this study was to identify the benthic macroinvertebrate diversity associated with the diverse types of water bodies and their water quality characteristics in high altitude environments. Four aquatic habitat types were defined based on characteristics of their water flow: rivers and streams (RS, lotic), peatlands (P, minimum current flow), shallow salty pool (SSP, lentic) and shallow brackish lagoons (L, lentic). Significant differences were detected in conductivity (EC), and dissolved oxygen (DO) between aquatic habitat types. Ninety-five taxa and 4 phyla were registered: Arthropoda, Nematoda, Mollusca and Annelida. Insecta class represented 83% of the total richness of arthropods, being Diptera dominant with 47 taxa, followed by Coleoptera and Ephemeroptera. Richness was explained by water flow, DO and EC. Taxonomic composition differed between aquatic habitat types. Collector-gatherers and predators were dominant, indicating a dependence on the shore vegetation and hydrophytes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"225 ","pages":"Article 105266"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142422595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preferences of annual and ephemeral plants for inorganic N versus organic N at different growth stages in a temperate desert ecosystem","authors":"Yuxin Xiao ,&nbsp;Baolin Hou ,&nbsp;Boyi Song ,&nbsp;Xinyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Weiwei Zhuang","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105264","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105264","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To utilize limited nitrogen (N) in terrestrial ecosystems, different plant types may employ different N uptake strategies to avoid and reduce competition for resources and thus complete their life cycles. It is helpful to study whether there is niche separation in the use of N by different plant types in desert ecosystems, for gaining insights into the survival strategies of desert plants and for better understanding the effects of N on their survival. <em>Centaurea pulchella</em>, <em>Lactuca undulata</em> (both ephemeral plants), <em>Ceratocarpus arenarius</em>, and <em>Suaeda glauca</em> (both annual plants) are four widely distributed plant species in the Gurbantunggut Desert in northwest China. We conducted an experimental field study employing the ¹⁵N labeling technique to study the uptake strategy of different N forms by these two types of plants in different months and different soil layers. The results indicated that the N uptake rates during the maximum biomass period of the two plant types were higher than those during the fastest growth period in different soil depths. Although all four plants could absorb various common forms of N, inorganic N was still the major form of N absorbed by them. Ephemeral plants preferred to absorb nitrate, with the highest uptake rate reaching 5.74 μg h⁻¹. However, annual plants preferred to absorb ammonium at a maximum uptake rate of 4.74 μg h⁻¹. According to the contribution rate of different N forms to total N uptake, nitrate was the most favorable form for ephemeral plants (contribution rate 36.98%–48.13%), whereas ammonium was the most favorable form for annual plants with the highest and lowest contribution rates of 48.3% and 30.47%, respectively. Furthermore, rather than the plants’ growth characteristics, factors such as month, soil depth, and plant life-form were the key drivers influencing the preferences for different forms of ¹⁵N. The research revealed that ephemeral and annual desert plants exhibit diversity in their utilization and recovery of N, and all of them could also absorb the soluble organic N source in the Gurbantunggut Desert. Our study contributed to a better understanding of plasticity of nutrient utilization by different plant species under N constraints in desert ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"225 ","pages":"Article 105264"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142422574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating the Wilderness: Early Bronze Age rectangular platforms in the central Negev Highlands","authors":"Tali Erickson-Gini,&nbsp;Yoram Haimi,&nbsp;Jacob Vardi","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105244","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105244","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>For well over a century, researchers exploring the Negev Highlands have noted the remains of large, impressive rectangular monuments dotting the landscape between the western border of Israel and the central Arava Valley. Archaeological surveys carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority along the western border between 2010 and 2012 revealed a narrow corridor of these platforms, situated on the main road between Quseima (ancient Kadesh Barnea) in northern Sinai and the site of Be'erotayim / Mizpe Ezuz. A number of these were excavated as well as platforms in the site of <em>Rosh Maʽale Zadok</em> (the head of the Zadok Ascent) in Mizpe Ramon in 2007. The results of these excavations point to their construction in the Early Bronze Age, possibly the Early Bronze Age IB or II/III period and we interpret their function as navigation platforms on trails connecting the Nile Delta in Egypt and the copper mines of Faynan in the central Arava as suggested by M. Haiman in 2006.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"225 ","pages":"Article 105244"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142422594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Neolithic technological approach to the production of stone beads: Insights from the analysis of the Nahal Hemar cave assemblage","authors":"Iris Groman-Yaroslavski ,&nbsp;Naomi Porat ,&nbsp;Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105255","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105255","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The stone beads assemblage of Nahal Hemar Cave, southern Israel, was analyzed to reconstruct the technology applied by artisans during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (9900–9400 BP). The analysis highlights three main inter-related aspects: broad range of raw materials used, bead production in accordance with types and mechanical properties of the minerals, and fashioning of beads into types suitable for specific use. Raw materials were identified with SEM-EDS analyses, and in one instance by using portable XRF. Eleven minerals indicate a vast geographical range of sources. Use-wear analysis of microscopic wear patterns revealed the application of production procedures that indicate an intimate acquaintance with the properties of the minerals, including abrasion and polishing strategies and selective methods of drilling and binding. It is shown that bead production followed decision-making processes dependent upon constraints imposed by the properties of the stone and by the tools used for manipulating them.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"225 ","pages":"Article 105255"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142422573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}