Journal of Arid Environments最新文献_第2页

Soil microbial community responses to alpine meadow degradation in Maqu: implications for semi-arid ecosystem restoration 玛曲地区土壤微生物群落对高寒草甸退化的响应：对半干旱生态系统恢复的启示

IF 2.5 3区环境科学与生态学

Journal of Arid Environments Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-26 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105580

Minxia Liu, Fan Zhang, Jingyue Xu, Yu Ding, Nan Zhang

{"title":"Soil microbial community responses to alpine meadow degradation in Maqu: implications for semi-arid ecosystem restoration","authors":"Minxia Liu, Fan Zhang, Jingyue Xu, Yu Ding, Nan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105580","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105580","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alpine meadow degradation on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau threatens the stability of semi-arid alpine ecosystems, yet how microbial structure and function respond remains unclear, impeding restoration. Here we investigated four alpine meadow sites in Maqu County (Gansu, China) spanning a degradation gradient (ND-SD). We measured vegetation attributes, soil physicochemical properties, microbial biomass (SMBC, SMBN), soil respiration (SR), metabolic quotient (<em>q</em>CO<sub>2</sub>), extracellular enzyme activities, and bacterial (16S rRNA) and fungal (ITS) communities using high-throughput sequencing. The results show that: (1) With increasing degradation, soil water content (SWC), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), and soil total phosphorus (STP) declined, whereas pH and electrical conductivity increased; microbial biomass, SR, and most enzyme activities decreased. (2) Microbial α-diversity (Shannon) also declined, and community composition shifted despite relatively stable dominant phyla. Several genera (notably <em>Pseudomonas</em>, <em>Gp6</em>, <em>Sebacina</em>, and <em>Cryptococcus</em>) emerged as stage-sensitive indicators and were significantly associated with enzyme activities and <em>q</em>CO<sub>2</sub>. (3) Structural equation modelling further revealed contrasting controls: bacterial community variation was mainly mediated by vegetation-driven changes in soil conditions, whereas fungal composition was more closely linked to soil properties and microbial biomass/substrate continuity. Together, these results show that microbial communities provide sensitive indicators of semi-arid alpine meadow degradation. Restoration should combine grazing control with rebuilding soil moisture and organic matter, while monitoring key taxa and functional metrics to guide recovery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 105580"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147422749","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}

引用次数: 0

Modelling spatio-temporal soil salinity of farmlands in the hyperarid environment of Kuwait using remote sensing data 利用遥感数据模拟科威特极度干旱环境下农田土壤盐分时空变化

IF 2.5 3区环境科学与生态学

Journal of Arid Environments Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-18 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105576

Hebah Kamal , Munairah Aljeri , Shabbir A. Shahid , Ahmed Abdulhadi , Mohammad Al-Murad , Nawaf Alfadhli , Megha Thomas

{"title":"Modelling spatio-temporal soil salinity of farmlands in the hyperarid environment of Kuwait using remote sensing data","authors":"Hebah Kamal , Munairah Aljeri , Shabbir A. Shahid , Ahmed Abdulhadi , Mohammad Al-Murad , Nawaf Alfadhli , Megha Thomas","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105576","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105576","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil salinity in hyperarid regions is a significant environmental problem resulting from high temperatures, high evaporation rates, and low precipitation, negatively impacting agricultural development and food security. Kuwait's desert features limited arable land, where soil salinity poses a significant challenge for farming, resulting in soil degradation and crop loss. This paper aimed to map the expansion of surface soil salinity during the last 25 years in Kuwait's Al-Wafra and Al-Abdaly farmlands through utilising spectral indices extracted from multi-seasonal imageries and regression-based modelling. The seasonal variation influence spectral indices behavior demonstrated statistically significant supported the inclusion of a seasonal term in regression modelling and improved model performance. Among the models evaluated, the linear configuration with ASTER_SI, Normalised Difference Salinity Index (NDSI), and Season achieved the best performance (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.651, RMSE = 0.182), offering an optimal balance between predictive accuracy and interpretability. Temporal generalisation is tested during 2000 and 2024, and ecological consistency is assessed using NDVI. The results revealed that in conjunction with farm expansion, the non-saline areas in Al-Abdaly decreased from 62.9% in 2000 to 9.5% in 2024, and in Al-Wafra from 85% to 14.2%. The highly to strongly saline surfaces increased by 3.3% in Al-Abdaly and by 2.3% in Al-Wafra in the same period. This study confirms that soil salinity in Kuwait's farmland has increased over the last 25 years.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 105576"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147422758","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}

引用次数: 0

The long-term decline of a succulent tree, Aloidendron pillansii, in the hyper-arid Richtersveld region of southern Africa 在非洲南部极度干旱的Richtersveld地区，一种多肉树Aloidendron pillansii的长期衰落

IF 2.5 3区环境科学与生态学

Journal of Arid Environments Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105571

M. Timm Hoffman , Peter J. Carrick , Michael D. Cramer , Elsabé Swart , Justin J. van Blerk , Helga van der Merwe

{"title":"The long-term decline of a succulent tree, Aloidendron pillansii, in the hyper-arid Richtersveld region of southern Africa","authors":"M. Timm Hoffman , Peter J. Carrick , Michael D. Cramer , Elsabé Swart , Justin J. van Blerk , Helga van der Merwe","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105571","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105571","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With fewer than 9000 individuals, <em>Aloidendron pillansii</em> is listed as Critically Endangered, yet the timing and drivers of its decline remain poorly understood. We aimed to rectify this by examining long-term population dynamics at Cornell's Kop using repeat photography, ecological monitoring, simulation modelling, and climate analyses, and compared these with regional patterns of climate and vegetation change. Between 2004 and 2012, juvenile numbers (<1 m tall) were relatively stable (37–45 individuals), with recruitment slightly exceeding mortality. From 2013, juvenile mortality increased sharply, coinciding with the 2017–2019 centennial drought and, to a lesser extent, plant removal, resulting in a 51% decline by 2024. Adult numbers declined more slowly, from 42 plants in 2004 to 31 in 2024. Approximately half of adult losses occurred between 1937 and 2004, likely reflecting senescence of older cohorts. Range-wide size-class patterns indicate aging populations in the north and younger populations in the south, with Cornell's Kop intermediate. Since 1979, regional climate trends show declining rainfall, longer dry seasons, rising temperatures, and decreasing vegetation productivity. Overall, the species exhibits a dual decline: recent drought disproportionately affects juveniles, while adult losses reflect aging cohorts, with population replacement increasingly constrained by climate change and human disturbance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 105571"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147422761","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}

引用次数: 0

Integrating deep learning into future hydrological modeling under climate change scenarios in an arid region 将深度学习整合到干旱地区气候变化情景下的未来水文建模中

IF 2.5 3区环境科学与生态学

Journal of Arid Environments Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105577

Mohammad Reza Nikoo

{"title":"Integrating deep learning into future hydrological modeling under climate change scenarios in an arid region","authors":"Mohammad Reza Nikoo","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105577","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105577","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change poses significant challenges to water resource management in arid catchments, where reliable projections of hydrological extremes remain difficult to obtain. This study applies a hybrid deep learning framework for downscaling and a hybrid HEC-HMS–Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) approach for streamflow simulation to assess climate change impacts in an arid region. Specifically, it evaluates projected streamflow changes at Oman's largest dam using advanced deep learning models—LSTM, Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN), and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU)—driven by CMIP6 climate projections under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5). The HEC-HMS model demonstrated strong performance (NSE = 0.842 for calibration, 0.811 for validation) but failed to simulate peak events, such as Cyclone Gonu. Hybridization of HEC-HMS with LSTM significantly improved accuracy, with a peak flow error decrease to 3.60%. Downscaling with a hybrid LSTM–Transformer model outperformed the other models and improved precipitation projections. Prpjection of future climate showed decreasing precipitation under SSP1-2.6 (annual peak: 23.82 mm between 2080 and 2099), as opposed to increasing extremes (36.65 mm) in SSP5-8.5. Temperature rose across all scenarios, with summer temperatures reaching 37.4 °C under SSP5-8.5. Streamflow projections saw an 80% decline under SSP1-2.6 but a near-baseline return under SSP5-8.5 (243.37 m<sup>3</sup>/s).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 105577"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147422606","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}

引用次数: 0

Composition, richness, and abundance of biocrusts in artisanal onyx mining sites in a tropical semidesert of central Mexico 墨西哥中部热带半沙漠手工玛瑙矿区生物外壳的组成、丰富度和丰度

IF 2.5 3区环境科学与生态学

Journal of Arid Environments Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-09 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105572

Héctor Godínez-Alvarez , Jessica Sosa-Quintero , Mariela Castillo Cabrera , Fernando Ayala-Niño , Saúl Flores Maya , Víctor Rivera-Aguilar

{"title":"Composition, richness, and abundance of biocrusts in artisanal onyx mining sites in a tropical semidesert of central Mexico","authors":"Héctor Godínez-Alvarez , Jessica Sosa-Quintero , Mariela Castillo Cabrera , Fernando Ayala-Niño , Saúl Flores Maya , Víctor Rivera-Aguilar","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105572","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105572","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated biocrusts in artisanal onyx mining sites in a Mexican tropical semidesert. Biocrusts in abandoned waste dumps from mining and in reference sites with natural vegetation were collected to measure their composition, richness, and abundance. The biocrust species and taxonomic groups were related to soil properties, and vegetation structure of waste dumps and reference sites. Biocrust composition and richness were similar between waste dumps (27 spp.) and reference sites (25 spp.). However, bryophyte abundance was lower in waste dumps (7%) than in reference sites (13%). Soil had lower litter cover (19 ± 5 %), organic matter (1.1 ± 0.03 %), moisture (7.6 ± 0.05 %), and total nitrogen (0.04 ± 0.0 %) in waste dumps than in reference sites (57 ± 9 %, 5.8 ± 0.1 %, 18.7 ± 0.04 %, 0.13 ± 0.0 %, respectively). These results suggested that cyanobacteria, lichens, and to a lesser extent, bryophytes developed in waste dumps, despite their poor soil conditions, potentially initiating their natural restoration. However, our study did not establish causal relationships among mining, soil properties, and biocrusts. Therefore, observed differences in biocrust abundance might be influenced by uncontrolled factors, including pre-existing spatial heterogeneity, varying soil origins, or site-specific histories.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 105572"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147422764","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}

引用次数: 0

Construction of a railway altered physical, chemical, and biological aspects of a reservoir in the Brazilian semiarid region 铁路的建设改变了巴西半干旱地区水库的物理、化学和生物方面

IF 2.5 3区环境科学与生态学

Journal of Arid Environments Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105573

Samantha Duarte da Silva , Sérgio Luiz Sonoda , Josiane Souza Santos , Myllena da Silva Oliveira Ramos , Nadson Ressyé Simões

{"title":"Construction of a railway altered physical, chemical, and biological aspects of a reservoir in the Brazilian semiarid region","authors":"Samantha Duarte da Silva , Sérgio Luiz Sonoda , Josiane Souza Santos , Myllena da Silva Oliveira Ramos , Nadson Ressyé Simões","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105573","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105573","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The construction of large infrastructure projects, such as railways, can cause significant impacts on aquatic ecosystems, especially in semiarid regions where soils are more vulnerable to erosion and desertification. This study evaluated the effects of the construction of the West-East Integration Railway on the limnology and zooplankton community of the Pedra Reservoir, located in the Brazilian semiarid region. We analyzed three periods—before, during, and after the railway construction—considering physical and chemical water variables as well as zooplankton diversity. Response variables were evaluated using both univariate and multivariate methods. The results indicated that the railway construction altered water quality, increasing turbidity and suspended solids during the construction period, which negatively impacted the zooplankton community, reducing species richness, density, and diversity. Although signs of resilience were observed in the post-construction period, the zooplankton community has not fully returned to its previous state. This study highlights the importance of strategic planning in large-scale projects, emphasizing the need to avoid interventions near water bodies and implement mitigation measures such as erosion control and revegetation of margins. Such actions are essential to preserve environmental integrity in semiarid ecosystems, which are highly vulnerable to climate change and eutrophication processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 105573"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147422605","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}

引用次数: 0

Shrub leachates rich in soluble phenols negatively affect the germination of dominant perennial grasses and shrubs in the Patagonian Monte 富含可溶性酚的灌木渗滤液对巴塔哥尼亚山地优势多年生禾草和灌木的萌发有不利影响

IF 2.5 3区环境科学与生态学

Journal of Arid Environments Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-11 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105574

Giovana Magali Muñoz , Analía Lorena Carrera , Mónica Beatriz Bertiller , Hebe Saraví Cisneros

{"title":"Shrub leachates rich in soluble phenols negatively affect the germination of dominant perennial grasses and shrubs in the Patagonian Monte","authors":"Giovana Magali Muñoz , Analía Lorena Carrera , Mónica Beatriz Bertiller , Hebe Saraví Cisneros","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105574","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105574","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grazing reduces grass cover and promotes the dominance of shrubs with high concentration of soluble phenols, which may leach from their canopies and reach neighboring plants and soils. Despite their potential allelopathic effects, these interactions remain poorly studied in arid ecosystems. Our aim was to analyze the effects of leachates from shrub canopies with high concentration and diversity of soluble phenols, and shrub-associated soils on germination of perennial grasses and conspecific shrub propagules. We sowed propagules of dominant perennial grasses and shrubs in separated Petri dishes containing soil from shrub patches. Propagules were moistened with water (control) or leachates from canopies dominated by shrubs with different phenolic profiles. Shrub leachates reduced shrub germination and increased the mean germination time of perennial grasses and shrubs. The strongest inhibitory effects were associated with complex phenolic profiles, indicating that allelopathic effects depended on shrub compound complexity. Our results suggested that increased mean germination time may expose late-emerging seedlings to low resource availability during the later stages of the growing season, along with increased exposure to negative allelopathic effects, not only from shrubs on perennial grasses, but also among shrubs. These results highlighted the importance of allelopathic interactions in arid ecosystems affected by grazing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 105574"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147422763","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}

引用次数: 0

Bird guilds exhibit varied responses to floodplain forest restoration in the Colorado River delta, Mexico 鸟类协会对墨西哥科罗拉多河三角洲洪泛区森林恢复表现出不同的反应

IF 2.5 3区环境科学与生态学

Journal of Arid Environments Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105558

Eduardo González-Sargas , Timothy D. Meehan , Osvel Hinojosa-Huerta , Stefanny Villagomez-Palma , Christopher Dodge , Martha Gómez-Sapiens , Pamela L. Nagler , Patrick B. Shafroth

{"title":"Bird guilds exhibit varied responses to floodplain forest restoration in the Colorado River delta, Mexico","authors":"Eduardo González-Sargas , Timothy D. Meehan , Osvel Hinojosa-Huerta , Stefanny Villagomez-Palma , Christopher Dodge , Martha Gómez-Sapiens , Pamela L. Nagler , Patrick B. Shafroth","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grouping species into guilds can be useful to inform management decisions locally and at broader scales because guilds lack species-specificity. We investigated the response of five breeding bird guilds to riparian habitat restoration in the arid Colorado River delta, based on two decades of bird detections (2002–2021) at 230 bird count stations across 7 routes in actively revegetated (“restored”) sites, and 20 routes in non-actively revegetated (“control”) sites. We used guilds based on habitat associations. We also described changes in vegetation and explored their influence on bird species detections and guild dynamics. Riparian forest bird specialists responded positively to active revegetation, but this positive response was delayed and weaker in a river reach where restoration began later and featured less typical riparian vegetation. Birds associated with wetland habitat showed a positive response to restoration in the wettest reach, which had a baseline of high abundance of wetland birds in control sites and relatively abundant macrophyte cover. Conversely, the abundance of desert scrub bird specialists was highest in the driest and least vegetated restored reach. Generalists only exhibited decreased detections in the wettest restored reach. All this occurred while declines of riparian forest, wetland, desert scrub, and generalist bird species observed over a decade prior to restoration had stabilized in control sites. Detections of birds associated with agricultural fields increased in the study area, irrespective of restoration efforts. Our study demonstrates that the choice of bird guilds as ecological indicators can significantly influence the interpretation of restoration outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 105558"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147422760","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}

引用次数: 0

Contributions of climatic and hydrological factors to vegetation changes in the Chaobai River Basin, China, during 2006–2023 2006-2023年潮白河流域气候水文因子对植被变化的贡献

IF 2.5 3区环境科学与生态学

Journal of Arid Environments Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-02 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105556

Xinde Li , Zenghui Pan

{"title":"Contributions of climatic and hydrological factors to vegetation changes in the Chaobai River Basin, China, during 2006–2023","authors":"Xinde Li , Zenghui Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growth dynamics of vegetation are crucial to regional ecological security and are highly sensitive to climate change and hydrological processes. However, the contributions of climatic and hydrological factors to vegetation changes have not been fully quantified, particularly in water-constrained basins. Utilizing multi-source remote sensing and ground observation data from the Chaobai River Basin, China (2006–2023), this study systematically analyzed the spatio-temporal evolution of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and evaluated the relative contributions of climatic factors (temperature, T; precipitation, P), hydrological elements (soil moisture storage anomalies, ΔSMS; groundwater storage anomalies, ΔGWS), and human activities. The results demonstrate that: (1) Growing-season NDVI showed a significant upward trend (average increase 0.0042 yr<sup>−1</sup>, P < 0.01), with 85.87 % of the area experiencing significant greening; (2) NDVI was widely positively correlated with ΔSMS (93.66 % of area), but strongly negatively correlated with ΔGWS (95.19 %); (3) A residual trend attribution analysis revealed that hydrological elements were the dominant drivers, with contributions from ΔGWS (60.78 %) and ΔSMS (23.20 %) far exceeding those of T (8.28 %), P (2.95 %), and human activities (4.79 %). This study highlights vegetation's dependence on groundwater depletion in water-limited settings and underscores the critical need to reconcile ecological restoration with sustainable groundwater management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 105556"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146096117","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}

引用次数: 0

Assessment of land degradability and water quality in a semiarid region: Machine learning approach and multi scale analysis 半干旱区土地退化性和水质评价：机器学习方法和多尺度分析

IF 2.5 3区环境科学与生态学

Journal of Arid Environments Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-05 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105562

Farzaneh Derakhshan-Babaei , Ali Darvishi Boloorani , Farhan Ahmadi Mirghaed , Seyed Jalil Alavi , José A.M. Demattê , Kan Huang

{"title":"Assessment of land degradability and water quality in a semiarid region: Machine learning approach and multi scale analysis","authors":"Farzaneh Derakhshan-Babaei , Ali Darvishi Boloorani , Farhan Ahmadi Mirghaed , Seyed Jalil Alavi , José A.M. Demattê , Kan Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A significant environmental challenge is to examine the relationship between agricultural land abandonment (ALA), land degradation, and soil properties, as well as their effects on water quality. This study developed a geo-environmental modeling approach to assess the connections between ALA, land degradability, and water quality in the Khuzestan Plain of southwestern Iran. The Random Forest (RF) was employed to map land degradability, and spatial correlation analysis was utilized to assess its relationship with water quality at various spatial scales during both dry and wet periods. The RF-based land degradability map revealed the presence of low to moderate land degradation in the region. The eastern and southeastern parts of the region exhibited the highest levels of degradation, while the central parts, as well as those in the north and west, demonstrated the least degradation. Severely degraded regions corresponded to abandoned agricultural lands. The Water Quality Index (WQI) results showed that 54% of water samples were classified as poor (50 ≤ WQI <75) during the dry period, while 96.5% were deemed unsuitable (WQI ≥100) during the wet period. The correlation between land degradability and WQI was slightly stronger in the dry period, peaking at the 500 m buffer. This finding highlights the importance of collecting data from various sources for land degradability mapping, exploring different spatial and temporal scales of water quality, and comprehending the impact of buffer zones on land degradation. These insights are essential for effective water and land protection as well as the development of sustainable, nature-based policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 105562"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147422604","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}

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