Journal of Arid Environments最新文献

{"title":"Synergistic pathways to promote nature-based Solutions: How policy and peer collaboration shape herder decisions on artificial pasture cultivation in Qinghai, China","authors":"Dayuan Xing ,&nbsp;Liqun Shao ,&nbsp;Xiangwei Zhang ,&nbsp;Haibin Chen ,&nbsp;Han Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105452","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105452","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recognized as a Nature-based Solution (NbS), artificial pasture cultivation (APC) provides a viable alternative forage source for livestock production while supporting the restoration and conservation of natural grasslands. However, its successful implementation relies crucially on coordinated efforts between government and local institutions, yet empirical studies examining their interplay remain scarce. Given that herders' adoption of APC is a rational decision-making process shaped by subjective cognition, this study develops an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework to evaluate how policy intervention and peer collaboration influence adoption. Using survey data from 363 herder households in Qinghai Province, China, SEM is employed and the results show that policy intervention and peer collaboration significantly improve herders’ behavior intention and actual implementation of APC practice. Government policies predominantly reinforce subjective norms and perceived behavioral control via regulatory measures and financial incentives, while peer collaboration leverages weak-tie organizational networks to facilitate knowledge dissemination and reciprocal support. These findings imply that effective NbS promotion requires context-specific policy designs that combine complementary instruments. In cases where NbS adoption involves high costs or substantial production adjustments, integrating policy implementation with existing local collaborative networks can enhance implementation effectiveness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"231 ","pages":"Article 105452"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144779333","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":"Food habits of the Lesser grison Galictis cuja (Molina, 1782) in the Huasco coastal desert, Los Choros, northern Chile","authors":"Carlos Zuleta-Ramos ,&nbsp;Jaime R. Rau","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105434","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105434","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Lesser grison, <em>Galictis cuja</em>, is a carnivorous mammal widely distributed in South America. However, its conservation status and natural history are poorly understood throughout much of its range. In Chile, it is found in all regions of the country from deserts in the north to temperate rainforests in the south. This species is characterized as Rare in most of the habitats where it has been recorded. This study analyzed the diet of <em>G. cuja</em> in the Huasco coastal desert of the Coquimbo Region, northern Chile. Sixty-three fecal samples were collected in September 2010 (spring), which were then analyzed and categorized using keys and reference collections. Its diet was generalist, consisting of imago arthropods, larvae, and pupae, which represented 75 % of the prey consumed. Coleoptera of the family Tenebrionidae were the most frequently found trophic category in the diet. However, the Lesser grison also consumes wild rodents, which accounted for 25 % of its diet, with the Darwin leaf-eared mouse <em>Phyllotis darwini</em> (about 50 g) being the most frequent prey item. This suggests that their diet in this arid ecosystem is generalist, which could also be related to the resources available in a fluctuating environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"231 ","pages":"Article 105434"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144779542","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":"Forage plants used by local communities for livestock production systems in the Argentine Chaco and their dependence on pollinators","authors":"Victoria Márquez ,&nbsp;Lucas M. Carbone ,&nbsp;N. David Jiménez-Escobar ,&nbsp;Ana Laura Chiapero ,&nbsp;Lorena Ashworth ,&nbsp;Fernando Zamudio ,&nbsp;Ramiro Aguilar","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105451","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105451","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the Chaco region of Argentina coexist different livestock production systems operating under a variety of management regimens and represented by different social actors. The sustainability of peasant extensive grazing systems is mainly based on the high degree of ecological knowledge of the wild forage sources available in the forest by local producers. In this study, we conducted a literature review focused on ethnobiological studies to assess the plant species used as forage by local communities in the Argentine Chaco to evaluate their degree of pollinator dependence. The proportion of forage species that depend to some degree on pollinators was lower (60.6 %) than the overall average found across angiosperms (90 %). Such results can be explained by the predominance of grasses that are used as fodder (22 %) in the Chaco, which are wind-pollinated and do not rely on pollinators to produce fruits and seed. However, when analyzing the most important forage species, we found that nearly all of them depend on animal pollinators to produce nutritious forage. Our findings emphasize the need for conservation actions that safeguard both pollination services and the plant resources that sustain local livelihoods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"231 ","pages":"Article 105451"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144771766","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":"Vegetation structural parameters affect leaf litter decomposition along a secondary successional chronosequence in tropical dry forest","authors":"Jhonathan de Oliveira Silva ,&nbsp;Maria Fernanda Gonçalves Durães ,&nbsp;Priscyla Maria Silva Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Pablo Cuevas-Reyes ,&nbsp;Ricardo Luiz Louro Berbara ,&nbsp;Mário Marcos do Espírito-Santo","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105453","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105453","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Litter decomposition contributes to nutrient cycling and influences soil organic matter, affecting soil fertility. We assessed the impact of leaf quality and vegetation structure on litter decomposition across three successional stages (early, intermediate, and late) in a Brazilian tropical dry forest. A total of 315 litterbags were installed, 105 per stage, at the beginning of the rainy season, and litter mass loss was measured over 322 days. Overall, 48 % of the litter mass was lost at the end of the experiment, and decomposition was higher in late successional stage. Leaf nutrient concentrations increased along the successional gradient. Although leaf traits did not influence decomposition, vegetation structure (species richness, basal area, and height) showed a significant positive effect. The accelerated decomposition in later stages may reflect microclimatic changes and more active decomposer communities, both shaped by vegetation complexity. Our findings suggest that, even after four decades, these regenerating forests have not achieved full recovery of vegetation structure or decomposition-related ecosystem functioning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"231 ","pages":"Article 105453"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144766979","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":"Stomatal sensitivity to heat and drought depends on coordination between leaf phenology, functional and physiological traits in Sonoran Desert tree species","authors":"Ginna Esperanza Fernández-Molano ,&nbsp;Rodrigo Méndez-Alonzo ,&nbsp;Mariana Álvarez-Añorve ,&nbsp;Teresa Terrazas ,&nbsp;Clara Tinoco-Ojanguren","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105450","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105450","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the Sonoran Desert, due to high air temperature (<em>T</em>_air) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD), trees face extreme water and thermal stress even during the rainy season. In response to <em>T</em>_air and VPD, trees should finely regulate their stomatal conductance (<em>g</em>_s), but we would expect evergreen species to generally show less sensitivity to these changes than deciduous species because of their greater tolerance to drought stress. We measured <em>g</em>_s in six deciduous and six evergreen tree species in field conditions, using environmental data from a nearby climate station. We evaluated stomatal sensitivity using five indices and measured leaf water potential at the turgor loss point (Ψ_tlp), along with leaf traits such as leaf dry-matter content (LDMC), stomatal size, and density, which are related to drought response. Our findings showed that high <em>T</em>_air and VPD significantly influence <em>g</em>_s, often causing stomatal closure at higher leaf temperatures. Evergreens exhibited greater drought tolerance, less sensitivity to VPD and temperatures, and higher LDMC (<em>P</em> = 0.004), smaller specific leaf areas (SLA, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), and lower Ψ_tlp (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). In contrast, deciduous species regulate drought stress through isohydric stomatal control and may drop leaves under extreme conditions, while evergreens withstand higher stress levels despite potential hydraulic dysfunction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"231 ","pages":"Article 105450"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144748707","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":"Shrub facilitation and drought drive divergent soil seed bank responses of native forbs and invasive grass in the Mojave desert","authors":"Ranae M. Sullivan ,&nbsp;Beth A. Newingham","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105449","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105449","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In arid ecosystems, soil seed banks support plant regeneration by storing propagules that respond to episodic rainfall. Shifting precipitation patterns and drought may alter seed banks, with cascading effects on plant communities. Native annuals often use bet-hedging (e.g., delayed germination) to cope with variable conditions, while invasives like <em>Bromus rubens</em> favor rapid growth and reproduction. Shrubs can mediate these responses by buffering microclimate and increasing plant abundance beneath their canopies. However, it remains unclear whether facilitative effects persist in the soil seed bank and how they are influenced by drought. Therefore, we asked: (1) Are seeds in the soil seed bank more abundant under shrub canopies compared to interspaces? (2) Are shrub facilitation effects on soil seed banks modified by drought? and (3) Do drought conditions drive abrupt changes in species specific seed density suggesting ecological thresholds? We sampled soil seed banks over three years, including during drought, under three shrub species and in open interspaces at four sites in Gold Butte National Monument (Nevada, USA). Soil seed bank density and composition were analyzed in relation to the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). <em>Bromus rubens</em> seed density declined during drought but remained higher under shrubs, where facilitative effects intensified. Native forbs showed stable or increasing seed density and weaker microsite differences. Species richness and diversity varied with <em>B. rubens</em> seed dynamics. This study emphasizes the role of microsite variability and species-specific responses in shaping soil seed banks, with important implications for restoration, invasive species management, and biodiversity conservation during drought.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"231 ","pages":"Article 105449"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144758107","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":"Assessment about wind erosion prevention effectiveness by ecological projects in the agro-pastoral zone of northern China","authors":"Xin He,&nbsp;Mengwen Gao,&nbsp;Xuanzhi Wang,&nbsp;Zihan Yang,&nbsp;Yecui Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105448","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105448","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The agro-pastoral zone of northern China is a critical ecological functional area of wind soil erosion, spanning 9 provinces with a total area of <span><math><mn>71</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>62</mn><mo>×</mo><msup><mn>10</mn><mn>4</mn></msup><mspace></mspace><msup><mrow><mi>k</mi><mi>m</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msup></math></span>. Assessment of the ecosystem's wind erosion prevention function is essential for ensuring the sustainable development of the region. In this study, the actual soil loss (SL) and wind erosion prevention retention rate (R) of this ecosystem from 2000 to 2022 were quantified, and the impacts of vegetation cover and ecological projects on actual soil loss were assessed. The results suggested that SL in our study area was observably reduced and the ecological system's wind erosion prevention function was significantly improved from 2000 to 2022. The change in vegetation cover level caused by the implementation of ecological projects contributes to a total reduction of <span><math><mn>4</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>99</mn><mo>×</mo><msup><mn>10</mn><mn>7</mn></msup></math></span> tons of actual soil loss from 2000 to 2022, of which about 62.58 % is due to the change from low vegetation cover to medium vegetation cover. This shows that the implementation of ecological projects, such as the Three-North Shelter Forest Belt Program, has substantially improved wind erosion prevention. The regionalization of environmental policies should be strengthened so as to better control wind erosion and promote coordinated and sustainable development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"231 ","pages":"Article 105448"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144722111","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":"Predicting dune migration risks under climate change context: A hybrid approach combining machine learning, deep learning, and remote sensing indices","authors":"Marzieh Mokarram ,&nbsp;Tam Minh Pham","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105447","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105447","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Given the impacts of climate change on increasing aridity, dune migration, and associated risks to adjacent areas and air quality, assessing these hazards is critical for effective land management. This study aims to utilize machine learning and deep learning algorithms to enhance image quality and delineate sand dune extents, identify optimal scales for extracting dune morphometric features, predict dune migration, and forecast climatic parameters and their relationships with morphometric characteristics. Results demonstrate that the deep iterative fusion network model effectively improves image quality for extracting dunes and their morphometric features with high accuracy. Furthermore, integrating morphometric and spectral features into a novel Land-Use Land-Form (LULF) map enables precise identification of landforms and objects in desert environments, including sand dune extents, with high accuracy. The findings also indicate that variations in spectral reflectance, particularly albedo and infrared bands, influence not only dune height detection but also dune migration speed. Additionally, the Markov model results suggest that increased albedo and infrared reflectance in the coming years will heighten the risk of dune migration in surrounding areas. Finally, the autoregressive integrated moving average model predicts future wind speeds ranging from 8.3 to 83.3 km/h, moving from southeast to northwest, reflecting intensified dune migration and increased risks to adjacent regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"231 ","pages":"Article 105447"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144685627","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":"Restoring soil functionality in drylands: Soil texture-specific impacts of vermicompost as an organic waste-based amendment","authors":"Azadeh Safadoust ,&nbsp;Seyedeh Bahareh Azimi ,&nbsp;Mohammad Bashiri Dehghan","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105446","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105446","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In semi-arid agroecosystems, where climate constraints limit soil productivity, sustainable management strategies are essential. This study evaluated the influence of soil texture on vermicompost efficacy in western Iran (Hamedan province) over 12 months during the 2023 growing season. A factorial field experiment was conducted on clay loam and loam soils with two vermicompost levels (0 and 15 ± 2 t ha⁻¹), each replicated three times (n = 12 plots). We assessed short-term changes in key physical, chemical, and mechanical soil properties, hypothesizing that loam soils—due to higher porosity and organic matter retention—would show greater improvements. Vermicompost significantly enhanced aggregate stability and reduced bulk density by up to 11.93 % in loam soils. Organic carbon increased by 84.76 % in clay loam, and cation exchange capacity rose by 20.51 %. Saturated hydraulic conductivity improved by 56.30 % in clay loam and 110.85 % in loam soils, indicating enhanced infiltration. A 55.42 % decrease in water-dispersible clay also suggested better structural resilience. These findings highlight the value of texture-specific organic amendments for improving soil quality, reducing erosion risk, and supporting adaptive land management. Incorporating vermicompost into dryland agriculture supports sustainable land use and offers a scalable strategy for maintaining soil productivity under challenging climatic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"231 ","pages":"Article 105446"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144634081","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":"Characteristics of the atmospheric dustfall in the Taklimakan hinterland: ground observation and microscopic analysis","authors":"Yibo Xue ,&nbsp;Xiaoxiao Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiaqiang Lei ,&nbsp;Shengyu Li ,&nbsp;Lianyou Liu ,&nbsp;Zifa Wang ,&nbsp;Baidourela Aliya ,&nbsp;Gongxin Yang ,&nbsp;Xiaole Pan ,&nbsp;Sinan Li ,&nbsp;Jing Ye ,&nbsp;Fan Yang ,&nbsp;Mamtimin Ali ,&nbsp;Xiao Tang ,&nbsp;Xueshun Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105443","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105443","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The physicochemical characteristics of dustfall particles are essential for the in-depth understanding on the aerodynamic processes of aeolian dust and its environmental effects. In this study, we conducted continuous high-frequency sampling of atmospheric dustfall in the Taklimakan hinterland during spring 2022, analyzing particle micromorphology, size distribution, mineral composition, deposition fluxes, and vertical dust characteristics. The results showed that the dustfall particles sampled in the Taklimakan hinterland were mostly micro-aggregates, angular, and subrounded based on the statistical analysis of the Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB-SEM). As determined by the Laser Diffraction Particle Size Analyzer (LDPSA), the dustfall particles were predominately coarse particles, with particles between 20 μm and 80 μm accounting for 83.73 % of the total particle number. Volume proportion of dustfall particles with particle size of 60–150 μm was 72.41 %. Mineralogical analysis of dustfall particles using the Intelligent Scanning Electron Microscope Environmental Particle Analysis System (IntelliSEM EPAS) revealed that calcite was the dominant component (31.15 %), followed by quartz (18.52 %), chlorite (11.84 %), kaolinite (8.11 %), smectite (6.28 %), and illite (5.25 %). Halite was identified as the primary salt component, making up 9.52 % of detected particles. Vertical dust profiles derived by the ground-based Mie-scattering lidar indicated that large amounts of irregular dust floated in the tropospheric atmosphere over the Taklimakan Desert, causing a high depolarization ratio of more than 0.6 within 5 km of the surface. These dust aerosols suspended in the upper air with long periods were attributed to the frequent windblown dust weather over the Tarim Basin in spring, resulting in high ambient particulate concentration and dust deposition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"231 ","pages":"Article 105443"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144604708","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}