[1] Predicted precipitation regime changes in arid ecosystems have the potential to alter soil C balance, but the influence of changes in different aspects of precipitation (amount, seasonality, and intensity) and the factors contributing to such effects are poorly understood. We used a process-based ecosystem model (PALS) that was modified, parameterized, and evaluated for a Mojave Desert ecos...

Drylands represent the planet's largest terrestrial biome and evidence suggests these landscapes have large potential for creating feedbacks to future climate. Recent studies also indicate that dryland ecosystems are responding markedly to climate change. Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) ‒ soil surface communities of lichens, mosses, and/or cyanobacteria ‒ comprise up to 70% of dryland cover ...

The Global Drylands Observing System proposed in this issue should reduce the huge uncertainty about the extent of desertification and the rate at which it is changing, and provide valuable information to scientists, planners and policy-makers. However, it needs careful design if information outputs are to be scientifically credible and salient to the needs of people living in dry areas. Its de...

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants grown under field water deficits exhibited an 80 to 85% reduction in leaf area index, plant height, and dry matter accumulation compared with irrigated controls. Midday photosynthetic rates of dryland plants decreased 2-fold, and canopy temperatures increased to 40 degrees C at 80 days after planting compared with canopy temperatures of 30 degrees C for irr...

northern khorasan province is located in north-east iran. according to demarton coefficient, it is a semiarid region. arid and semi-arid or subhumid zones are characterized by temperature variations, low and erratic rainfall, periodic droughts and different associations of vegetative cover and soils. this article looks at current dry lands and general guidelines for finding the best area for dr...

Understanding how desertification takes place in different ecosystems is an important step in attempting to forecast and prevent such transitions. Dryland ecosystems often exhibit patchy vegetation, which has been shown to be an important factor on the possible regime shifts that occur in arid regions in several model studies. In particular, both gradual shifts that occur by front propagation, ...

The effect of water stress on glutathione reductase and catalase activities was evaluated in leaf blades of field-grown winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Wheat was sown at two seeding rates under both irrigated and dryland conditions. Flag leaves from dryland plants sown at 60 kilograms/hectare showed no change in either glutathione reductase or catalase activities per unit leaf area, while ...

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) occur across most of the world's drylands and are sensitive indicators of dryland degradation. Accounting for shifts in biocrust composition is important for quantifying integrity of arid and semi-arid ecosystems, but the best methods for assessing biocrusts are uncertain. We investigate the utility of surveying biocrust morphogroups, a reduced set of biotic c...

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is valued for bioenergy, feed and food. Potential of sorghum genotypes to support differing populations of rootand soil-associated fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. or Fusarium spp., in two soils, was assessed. Culturable pseudomonads were enumerated from roots and soil of sorghum (Redlan and RTx433) and wheat (Lewjain) seedlings repeatedly grown in cycled soils...

The persistence and geographic expansion of dryland forests in the 21st century will be influenced by how climate change supports the demographic processes associated with tree regeneration. Yet, the way that climate change may alter regeneration is unclear. We developed a quantitative framework that estimates forest regeneration potential (RP) as a function of key environmental conditions for ...