Landforms and processes in arid and semi-arid environments

Yang, Xiaoping; Williams, Martin

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2015.02.011

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Arid and semiarid ecosystems occupy ca 36% of the land area of the globe and shrubs function as foundation species within these ecosystems (Yang & Williams, 2015). A foundation species in ecology was described as a species with significant impacts on the structure and functioning of an ecosystem (Lortie, Gruber, Filazzola, Noble, & Westphal, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil seed bank characteristics in relation to different shrub species in semiarid regions

2021

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Little information is available about the effects of different species of shrubs on the composition of the soil seed bank (SSB) in the semiarid regions. We determined the role of three dominant shrub species on SSB characteristics and evaluated their potential for their possible use in rangeland restoration projects. Fifteen sites, each containing three shrub species (Amygdalus scoparia, Daphne mezereum and Ebenus stellata) and a herbaceous patch (control) in close proximity, were sampled and their SSB density, species richness and diversity at 0–10 cm depth were determined. The results showed that the density of the SSB was highest under A. scoparia and lowest in the control. The highest SSB density of grasses was found under A. scoparia, while the highest SSB density of forbs was found under E. stellata. Species diversity of the SSB was significantly greater under E. stellata than under the other shrubs and control. This study revealed that the extent to which shrubs affected SSB characteristics did not only depend on the presence of shrubs, but also on the species of shrubs. These different roles of different species of shrubs on SSB are advised to be considered in the restoration of degraded areas through the SSB in the semiarid areas. In the case of changing management type from intensive grazing to extensive grazing or non‐grazing, the role of different shrub species in the conservation herbaceous species through their SSB can be different.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil seed bank characteristics in relation to different shrub species in semiarid regions

2021

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“…Of this total, the Amazon region, where around 80% of the average water flow is concentrated, contributing 83% of the surface water availability in the country, is where the smallest portion of the population lives (8.72%), consequently it displays the lowest water demand, while the northeastern region, on the other hand, contributes 3.52% and 2.65%, respectively [5]. Arid and semi-arid areas comprise about 36% of the Earth's land surface [6]. In Brazil, 87.8% of the northeastern region is located in a semi-arid area, demanding special attention regarding water supplies, in contrast to other regions in the country.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Average daily solar irradiance on an inclined plane with angle equal to latitude [19]. 3 1000 W/m 2 was adopted herein 4,5,6. According to the SEMARH licitation[18].…”

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confidence: 99%

Sustainable Groundwater Exploitation Aiming at the Reduction of Water Vulnerability in the Brazilian Semi-Arid Region

Júnior

Freitas²,

Silva

et al. 2019

Energies

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Semi-arid regions have historically suffered from low water availability. In addition, the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events credited to global climate change has made it increasingly clear that among the challenges faced by society water resource management is extremely necessary. In this context, desalination based on renewable energy resources integrated with production systems that make use of the waste resulting from this process becomes a socio-environmentally indicated alternative to expand existing supply strategies and sustainable water use in isolated locations, and/or areas distant from large urban centers, thus addressing local potential and reducing environmental impacts. This study assesses the use of Photovoltaic Solar Power Plants (PSPPs), as well as of residues generated in a Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis System (BWRO), in productive units linked to fish and family farming. This is as an alternative way to reduce water vulnerability in the Brazilian semi-arid area (BS), adhering to climate change adaptation measures in the light of Brazilian public policies through the Freshwater Program (Programa Água Doce—PAD), which aims to promote access to good quality water to approximately 500 thousand people in the Brazilian semi-arid region.

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“…An arid and semiarid ecosystem is more sensitive to climate changes than other terrestrial ecosystems [2][3][4][5][6]. It covers 36% of the world's land area and half of China's land [7], and is facing serious threats from climate changes like drought and warming [8]. Climate change in China has been dramatic in recent decades, particularly in the arid and semiarid areas of China (ASA-China), where the temperature has increased at a rate of 0.48 • C/decade (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010) and droughts/floods have threatened ecosystem sustainability [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isolating and Quantifying the Effects of Climate and CO2 Changes (1980–2014) on the Net Primary Productivity in Arid and Semiarid China

Fang

Zhang

Wang

et al. 2017

Forests

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Abstract:Although the net primary productivity (NPP) of arid/semiarid ecosystem is generally thought to be controlled by precipitation, other factors like CO 2 fertilization effect and temperature change may also have important impacts, especially in the cold temperate areas of the northern China, where significant warming was reported in the recent decades. However, the impacts of climate and atmospheric CO 2 changes to the NPP dynamics in the arid and semiarid areas of China (ASA-China) is still unclear, hindering the development of climate adaptation strategy. Based on numeric experiments and factorial analysis, this study isolated and quantified the effects of climate and CO 2 changes between 1980-2014 on ASA-China's NPP, using the Arid Ecosystem Model (AEM) that performed well in predicting ecosystems' responses to climate/CO 2 change according to our evaluation based on 21 field experiments. Our results showed that the annual variation in NPP was dominated by changes in precipitation, which reduced the regional NPP by 10.9 g·C/(m 2 ·year). The precipitation-induced loss, however, has been compensated by the CO 2 fertilization effect that increased the regional NPP by 14.9 g·C/(m 2 ·year). The CO 2 fertilization effect particularly benefited the extensive croplands in the Northern China Plain, but was weakened in the dry grassland of the central Tibetan Plateau due to suppressed plant activity as induced by a drier climate. Our study showed that the climate change in ASA-China and the ecosystem's responses were highly heterogeneous in space and time. There were complex interactive effects among the climate factors, and different plant functional types (e.g., phreatophyte vs. non-phreatophyte) could have distinct responses to similar climate change. Therefore, effective climate-adaptive strategies should be based on careful analysis of local climate pattern and understanding of the characteristic responses of the dominant species. Particularly, China's policy makers should pay close attention to climate change and ecosystem health in northeastern China, where significant loss in forest NPP has been triggered by drought, and carefully balance the ecological and agricultural water usage. For wildlife conservation, the drought-stressed grassland in the central Tibetan Plateau should be protected from overgrazing in the face of dramatic warming in the 21st century.

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Landforms and processes in arid and semi-arid environments

Cited by 14 publications

References 11 publications

Soil seed bank characteristics in relation to different shrub species in semiarid regions

Soil seed bank characteristics in relation to different shrub species in semiarid regions

Sustainable Groundwater Exploitation Aiming at the Reduction of Water Vulnerability in the Brazilian Semi-Arid Region

Isolating and Quantifying the Effects of Climate and CO2 Changes (1980–2014) on the Net Primary Productivity in Arid and Semiarid China

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