Global Desertification: Building a Science for Dryland Development

Abstract

In this millennium, global drylands face a myriad of problems that present tough research, management, and policy challenges. Recent advances in dryland development, however, together with the integrative approaches of global change and sustainability science, suggest that concerns about land degradation, poverty, safeguarding biodiversity, and protecting the culture of 2.5 billion people can be confronted with renewed optimism. We review recent lessons about the functioning of dryland ecosystems and the livelihood systems of their human residents and introduce a new synthetic framework, the Drylands Development Paradigm (DDP). The DDP, supported by a growing and well-documented set of tools for policy and management action, helps navigate the inherent complexity of desertification and dryland development, identifying and synthesizing those factors important to research, management, and policy communities.

Vegetation changes in recent large-scale ecological restoration projects and subsequent impact on water resources in China's Loess Plateau

“…These regions are more ecologically vulnerable, and sensitive to climate change and human activities, the health of which is a critical challenge (Reynolds et al, 2007;Liang et al, 2015;Yang et al, 2014Yang et al, , 2016. In order to address the serious environmental and ecological issues, a series of large-scale ecological restoration projects were carried out throughout the world (Allana et al, 2013), and China has also taken efforts in such actions since the 1950s (Huang et al, 2009).…”

Artificially Accelerating the Reversal of Desertification: Cyanobacterial Inoculation Facilitates the Succession of Vegetation Communities

“…3 The United Nations has long focused on drylands and desertification, notably in 1992 adopting the Convention to Combat Desertification. 2 As a serious threat, desertification affects the livelihood of more than 25% of the world's population, and results in long-lasting and observable loss of vegetation coverage and bareness of soil surface for the environment itself. 4 In short, desertification leads to the loss of productivity and ability to retain resources, such as nutrients and water, bringing considerable economic, social, and environmental problems to the local residents.…”

Carbon dioxide emissions from semi-arid soils amended with biochar alone or combined with mineral and organic fertilizers

“…Soils are estimated to hold from 695 to 748 Gt ofinorganic C in the upper 100 cm (Batjes, 1996), mainly as ealcium carbonate in drylands (i.e., arid, semi-arid, and dry subhumid areas), which cover more than 40% ofEarth's land surfaee (Reynolds et al, 2007;Lal, 2008). Therefore, further information on the effeets ofbioehar on the typically ealcareous soils of these regions is needed to fully understand the potential ofbioehar as a global greenhouse gas mitigation strategy.…”