Journal of Arid Environments最新文献

{"title":"Detection of land degradation risk by integrating temporal optical and synthetic aperture radar variables using machine learning techniques in Camdeboo National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa","authors":"David Sengani,&nbsp;Abel Ramoelo,&nbsp;Emma Archer,&nbsp;Hugo Bezuidenhout","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105711","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105711","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate detection of land degradation in semi-arid environments requires approaches that distinguish persistent ecosystem degradation from short-term climatic variability. This study developed and evaluated a multi-sensor machine-learning framework integrating Landsat-8 optical imagery, Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), environmental variables, and long-term vegetation monitoring data to map land degradation risk in Camdeboo National Park, South Africa. Vegetation cover observations from 52 permanent monitoring plots were integrated with spectral vegetation indices, SAR backscatter, terrain attributes, and climatic variables within a Random Forest (RF) regression framework. Model performance was compared with Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression (SMLR) using five-fold spatial cross-validation, independent validation, and multiple performance metrics, including R², RMSE, relative RMSE, MAE, MAPE, mean bias error, Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency, Lin's Concordance Correlation Coefficient, residual diagnostics, Bland–Altman analysis, and prediction intervals. The RF model substantially outperformed SMLR, explaining approximately 78% of the observed variability in bare soil compared with 51–55% for the linear benchmark while consistently producing lower prediction errors and reduced bias. Seasonal analyses revealed higher vegetation cover and lower bare-soil exposure during the wet season, whereas dry-season conditions exhibited increased surface exposure. Persistent degradation hotspots were concentrated in valley-bottom plains, drainage lines, and areas adjacent to settlements, reflecting the combined influence of topography, grazing pressure, and climatic stress. Vegetation indices (NDVI, SAVI, and GNDVI), Sentinel-1 SAR backscatter, soil moisture, temperature, and terrain variables emerged as the most influential predictors. Integrating seasonal climatic context with multi-sensor observations reduced the risk of confusing drought-induced vegetation decline with structural land degradation. The proposed framework provides a robust and transferable decision-support tool for long-term land degradation monitoring and sustainable management of semi-arid protected landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 105711"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148777357","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":"Detecting changes in savannah tree phenology metrics due to climate variability in Central District, Botswana, using MODIS imagery","authors":"G.L. Modutlwe,&nbsp;C. Munyati","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate variability, and change in the long-term, will threaten the stability of vegetation phenology. In this study, long-term changes to the start (SOS), end (EOS) and length of the growing season (LOS) of trees were examined in semi-arid savannah woodlands. A 2000–2025 archive of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) data from the MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectrometer) MOD13Q1 product was used. Long-term (1995–2025) rainfall and temperature data from nearby meteorological stations indicated climate trends. Vegetation index (VI) values were plotted against their respective 16-day dates. SOS was detected as the seasonal commencement of EVI increases, EOS as EVI reductions, and LOS as the SOS–EOS time frame. Tree and grass metrics were separated using their respective phenology triggers: annual temperature and rainfall cycles. Warming was detected using long-term trends in mean monthly minimum temperature. The best-fit trend models indicated warming by 0.6–1.2°C. Total annual rainfall was highly variable (coefficient of variation 30–36%). Tree SOS and EOS varied year-to-year, but LOS increased by nearly one month. Remotely sensing savannah tree phenology metrics separately from grass using historical VI images can be more reliable with temperature and rainfall data as interpretation aids.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 105713"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148737920","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":"When sun and warmth attract people: Escalating pressure on Spain's drylands","authors":"Javier Martí-Talavera,&nbsp;Jorge Olcina,&nbsp;Javier Ibáñez,&nbsp;Juanma Cintas,&nbsp;Fernando Gallardo,&nbsp;Jaime Martínez-Valderrama","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105706","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105706","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent decades, Spain has experienced an expansion of drylands, with an increase of approximately 4% of its surface area, alongside processes of demographic transformation that altered the spatial distribution of the population. The aim of this study is to quantify the population residing in Spain's drylands and to analyse its evolution between 1960 and 2020, as well as the territorial and environmental implications of these changes. To this end, municipal-scale demographic data are combined with climatic aridity maps based on 30-year averages. Three time points are analysed: 1960, prior to the rural exodus; 1991, following its culmination; and 2020, representing the current scenario, applying the corresponding aridity classification to each period. The results show that the population living in drylands has increased by more than 8% over the study period and currently accounts for nearly 80% of the country's total population. This growth has occurred mainly in semi-arid and arid areas, while non-drylands regions have experienced a sustained demographic decline. This imbalance, combined with the concentration of water-intensive economic activities such as agriculture and tourism in regions characterised by structural water deficits, increases pressure on natural resources and contributes to the intensification of soil degradation and desertification processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 105706"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148658266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of backyard beekeeping in conserving agro-biodiversity in the crop farming system of Waghimra and the South Wollo Zone of Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia","authors":"Alemu Tsegaye,&nbsp;Meressa Lemma,&nbsp;Agazie Tsegaye,&nbsp;Ayalew Girmay,&nbsp;Yesuf Ebrahim,&nbsp;Addisu Bihonegn,&nbsp;Girma Ngusie,&nbsp;Ertiban Desale,&nbsp;Amsalu Bezabih","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105704","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105704","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rural communities in Ethiopia play a significant role in managing agrobiodiversity through their rich indigenous knowledge in conserving diverse plant species. Beekeeping serves as a key practice for supporting local biodiversity. Despite its importance, research on the systematic contribution of beekeeping to agrobiodiversity in Ethiopia remains limited. This study seeks to assess the specific role of beekeeping in promoting biodiversity conservation within crop farming systems in the Eastern Amhara region, Ethiopia. Semi-structured interviews were used to document community backyard management practices and local knowledge. The quadrate method was used to assess vegetation structure and species diversity. Results showed that beekeepers selectively preserve both exotic (e.g., <em>Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Prosopis molle</em>) and indigenous (e.g., <em>Cordia africana, Acacia spp., Ziziphus spina-christi</em>) plant species in their home gardens based on their significance for beekeeping. Beekeeper home gardens showed marginally higher floral species richness (13.80 ± 5.00 vs. 12.55 ± 4.99), Shannon–Wiener diversity (2.08 ± 0.34 vs. 1.92 ± 0.53), and evenness (0.83 ± 0.08 vs. 0.78 ± 0.14) than non-beekeeper gardens (values are means ± SD). In small garden systems, consistent improvements across multiple diversity metrics indicate enhanced floral resource availability. This pattern suggests a balanced community structure and ecological relevance that extends beyond statistical significance. Higher Rényi profiles observed in beekeeper gardens suggest that beekeeping practices, such as the deliberate planting and maintenance of nectar- and pollen-producing plants, are associated with greater plant diversity and may have implications for ecosystem resilience. Integrating beekeeping into community forestry and watershed management could further enhance biodiversity conservation and rural economic development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 105704"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148658297","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":"Long-term comparison of habitat suitability models and observed distribution of the Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa) at the northern edge of its range","authors":"V.E. Kirilyuk,&nbsp;M.Yu Paltsyn,&nbsp;A.V. Kirilyuk","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Species distribution models are widely used for conservation planning, but their long-term predictive performance is rarely evaluated using independent field data. We evaluated how accurately habitat suitability models predict the distribution of the Mongolian gazelle (<em>Procapra gutturosa</em>) by comparing model outputs with empirical distribution maps collected approximately a decade later. Potential habitats (all environmentally suitable areas) and optimal habitats (core areas with the highest predicted suitability) were modeled using MaxEnt based on occurrence records collected between 1994 and 2015 in southeastern Transbaikalia and eastern Mongolia together with biologically meaningful environmental predictors. The final modeling dataset consisted of both georeferenced field presence records and supplementary spatially generated points representing uniformly occupied areas. Model predictions were subsequently evaluated using independent field observations collected during 2020–2025 following rapid recolonization of the study region.</div><div>Field mapping showed that gazelles occupied 35,694 km² in winter and 15,145 km² in summer. Agreement between predicted and observed distributions was substantially higher for winter habitats than for summer habitats, indicating that snow-related predictors effectively captured the primary ecological constraints on winter distribution. The largest discrepancies between predicted and observed distributions occurred in summer habitats, highlighting ecological factors that are insufficiently represented by commonly used environmental predictors, particularly forage conditions and soil overmoistening associated with summer precipitation.</div><div>Overall, the study demonstrates the importance of long-term evaluation of species distribution models using independent field data and highlights the need to incorporate climate-sensitive predictors when forecasting range dynamics of steppe ungulates under ongoing climate change. Conversely, accurate mapping of species distributions can help identify and refine critical environmental thresholds that determine species persistence, which is particularly important under ongoing rapid climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 105722"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148843756","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":"Sand barrier microplastics alter plant–soil interactions in artificial sand-fixation areas by constraining plant nutrient utilization","authors":"Nan Lu,&nbsp;Bo Wang,&nbsp;Yuwei Li,&nbsp;Dandan Zhou,&nbsp;Yanan Yu,&nbsp;Xin Li,&nbsp;Chuanqi Wang,&nbsp;Pingping Zhu,&nbsp;Qianqian Qin,&nbsp;Ke Zhao,&nbsp;Xuexia Hu,&nbsp;Pu Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105703","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105703","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The continuous release of sand barrier microplastics (PLA-MPs) from polymer sand barriers during weathering in arid sandy areas poses potential ecological risks that are not yet well understood, particularly regarding their effects on vegetation growth and soil ecosystems in desert environments. This study used <em>Agriophyllum squarrosum</em>, a typical sand-fixing pioneer species, and soil from the Ulan Buh Desert as the research system to increase ecological relevance. This study systematically evaluated the concentration-dependent effects of PLA-MPs on the plant–soil system in an arid sand-fixation area using an integrated multi-indicator approach combined with PLS-SEM. Through pot experiments with different concentrations of PLA-MPs, combined with structural equation modeling, the effects on plant growth, physiological traits, soil nutrients, and enzyme activities were evaluated. The results indicate that PLA-MPs significantly inhibited plant biomass and physiological performance, while promoting the accumulation of soil carbon and nitrogen and altering their stoichiometric ratios. However, enhanced soil nutrient levels did not translate into plant growth benefits, reflecting constrained nutrient uptake and utilization. Overall, PLA-MPs exhibited dual effects in arid sandy areas, suppressing plant growth while increasing soil nutrient accumulation, suggesting potential ecological risks associated with polymer sand barriers in desertification control. These findings provide new insights into plant–soil responses to biodegradable microplastics in arid sand-fixation ecosystems and contribute to the ecological risk assessment of polymer-based restoration materials in desert environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 105703"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148658265","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":"Precipitation and phosphorus addition jointly regulate litter decomposition by altering litter stoichiometry and extracellular enzyme activity","authors":"Meiqi Li,&nbsp;Yalan Liu,&nbsp;Peng Wang,&nbsp;Xiangyi Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In arid regions, litter decomposition is primarily constrained by precipitation and phosphorus (P) deposition. A 360-day field experiment was carried out to examine the interactive effects of precipitation and P addition on this process. Precipitation and P addition significantly reduced litter C/P and N/P ratios, while enhancing <em>β</em>-1,4-glucosidase (BG), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and laccase (LAC) activities. These coordinated changes reduced relative lignin accumulation and collectively accelerated litter decomposition. These results demonstrate a pronounced synergistic effect of precipitation and P addition on litter decomposition. Under ambient precipitation, P addition reduced lignin remaining and increased the litter decomposition rate (<em>k</em>). However, LAC activity declined, probably due to combined microbial metabolic adjustment and photochemical degradation. Under increased precipitation, <em>k</em> did not differ significantly between 2.5 and 5 g P m⁻² yr⁻¹, suggesting P saturation under these conditions. Overall, our findings show that water and P inputs interact non-additively to regulate litter decomposition in hyper-arid deserts, with P effects depending on water availability. Accurate predictions of dryland carbon (C) turnover under global change should explicitly account for water–P interactions and their saturation effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 105720"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148844282","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":"Multi-threshold analysis of aeolian dust heterogeneity in the Taklimakan desert, Northwest China","authors":"Bakayisire Fabiola,&nbsp;Aishajiang Aili,&nbsp;Hailiang Xu,&nbsp;Abdul Waheed,&nbsp;Albert Poponi Maniraho,&nbsp;Digne Edmond Rwabuhungu Rwatangabo","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105712","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105712","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Taklimakan Desert is a principal source of atmospheric dust, affecting regional climate, air quality, and cross-border ecosystems. This study quantifies the seasonal, spatial, and interannual variability of three dust categories, namely suspended dust (dust optical depth, DOD &gt; 0.1), blowing dust (DOD &gt; 0.5), and sandstorm (DOD &gt; 1.0), using 23 years (2000–2022) of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) derived monthly dust storm frequency (MODFDS product) at 0.1° resolution. Parametric and non-parametric tests were applied, and the satellite classification was compared against ground-based visibility and present-weather observations from seven stations for 2022. Suspended dust was the most frequent and spatially extensive category, blowing dust was concentrated in the central and south-eastern basin, and sandstorm activity was localised near dune fields and river deltas. Spring was the most active season for all three categories. The categories differed significantly in mean frequency (one-way ANOVA F(2,66) = 978.9, p &lt; 0.001, η² = 0.97; repeated-measures ANOVA partial η² = 0.99), and were positively correlated (r = 0.46–0.82). Basin-aggregate Mann–Kendall tests, including the Hamed–Rao variance-corrected test, detected no statistically significant monotonic trend in any category over 2000–2022 (p &gt; 0.4); localised tendencies are apparent in the spatial trend field. Ground comparison yielded moderate, statistically significant correlations (r = 0.38–0.52, p &lt; 0.001), strongest for sandstorm, for which the root-mean-square error was also the smallest (6.2 percentage points, against 22.3 for blowing dust and 33.9 for suspended dust). The multi-threshold framework is reasonably consistent with surface observations and offers a transferable approach for dust monitoring in arid regions with sparse ground networks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 105712"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148737919","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":"Nonlinear hydroclimatic associations and LULC-based spatial consistency assessment of vegetation dynamics in the Tarim River Basin","authors":"Fan Wang,&nbsp;Qin Liu,&nbsp;Ziyu Wang,&nbsp;Hong Lv,&nbsp;Huiliang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding vegetation dynamics and their associations with hydroclimatic variability and non-climatic residual components is important for ecological management and water resource regulation in arid inland river basins. Traditional residual-based attribution methods often rely on linear climate baselines and may overinterpret unexplained residuals as direct anthropogenic effects. Taking the Tarim River Basin as a case study, this study integrated multi-source remote sensing, climate, and land-use/land-cover (LULC) data from 2001 to 2024. Theil–Sen trend analysis, Mann–Kendall classification, and the Hurst index were used to evaluate NDVI dynamics and persistence. A nonlinear Random Forest (RF) model was used to construct a statistical climate-associated NDVI baseline, and LULC transitions were introduced to assess the spatial consistency of non-climatic residual-dominated vegetation changes. The results showed that: (1) NDVI increased at a rate of 0.0123 per decade, with improvements mainly distributed in northern mountainous areas, oasis margins, and river corridors; (2) historical greening may persist in many mountain–oasis systems, whereas some oasis–desert transition zones showed potential instability; (3) soil moisture was the most important hydroclimatic predictor; and (4) ecological restoration, agricultural expansion, and agricultural intensification were spatially associated with part of the residual-dominated greening signal.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 105718"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148777442","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":"Aridity level and hillslope aspect shape soil fungal diversity, functioning, and network organization in drylands","authors":"Yosef Steinberger,&nbsp;Tirza Doniger,&nbsp;Chen Sherman,&nbsp;Eli Argaman,&nbsp;Yagil Osem,&nbsp;Ilan Stavi","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105715","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105715","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We examined soil fungal communities in southern Israel, and investigated the effects of aridity level (semi-arid, arid, and hyper-arid regions), hillslope aspect (north-vs. south-facing) and microhabitat (shrubs, inter-patch spaces, and livestock trampling routes). Our results revealed that aridity level and hillslope aspect influenced fungal community. Fungal species richness declined from 631 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the semi-arid site to 49 in the hyper-arid site. Aridity was the main factor structuring fungal community, whereas hillslope aspect had a smaller effect. Network analysis showed that fungal connectivity decreased with increasing aridity. However, this decline was not linear. The semi-arid system – particularly on south-facing hillslopes – showed stronger connectivity and more cohesive network structure, suggesting enhanced biotic interactions under moderate stressors. In contrast, the hyper-arid site maintained high numbers of nodes and edges but exhibited reduced clustering and weak connectivity, indicating diffuse and poorly structured interactions. Across all sites, high modularity indicated persistent niche partitioning, while the identity of highly connected taxa varied markedly, reflecting strong environmental filtering and functional turnover along the gradient. The findings indicate that increasing aridity shifts fungal communities from interaction-driven systems to stress-driven and stochastic assemblages, highlighting the vulnerability of soil microbiomes to climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 105715"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148770690","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}