Journal of Arid Environments最新文献_第2页

Introducing a computationally light approach to estimate forest height and fractional canopy cover from Sentinel-2 data

IF 2.6 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Arid Environments

Pub Date : 2025-03-06 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105343

Arvin Fakhri , Hooman Latifi , Kyumars Mohammadi Samani , Fabian Ewald Fassnacht

Accurate and timely monitoring of forest attributes such as canopy height and cover is crucial in the face of global climate change and its impact on forests, in particular across semi-arid and fragile ecosystems. Motivated by this, we explored the potential of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery for estimating forest height (H) and fractional canopy cover (FCC) in semi-arid mountainous ecosystems, as challenging cases for optical remote sensing due to the prominent influence of soil background. Our investigation tackles a gap in current research by utilizing multi-temporal data to understand the effects of tree growth on Sentinel-2 spectral bands, and unravelling the spectral content of Sentinel-2 to estimate H and FCC at 10 m spatial resolution. We first estimated FCC and then H using a newly proposed vegetation index (VI) by optimizing Sentinel-2 band coefficients to mitigate soil influence. FCC was used included in the model to estimate H. We estimated the change in H (ΔH) over one and two-year growth periods, analysing the relationship between spectral variations and tree height growth. We propose a workflow for optimizing our index for FCC, H and ΔH to address the challenge of soil background influence in semi-arid tree cover. The results indicate a strong relationship between the optimized index and FCC, H and ΔH, with R² = 0.76, 0.70 and 0.62 respectively obtained using a linear model. The proposed method additionally underwent rigorous testing in a temperate forest study area characterized by dense forest stands and reference data from laser scanning, and returned moderate results which indicate the robustness and reliability of our approach to estimate H across forest structures.

面对全球气候变化及其对森林的影响，尤其是对半干旱和脆弱生态系统的影响，准确及时地监测冠层高度和覆盖率等森林属性至关重要。受此影响，我们探索了哨兵-2 卫星图像在估计半干旱山区生态系统的森林高度（H）和部分冠层覆盖率（FCC）方面的潜力。我们的研究利用多时相数据了解树木生长对哨兵-2 号卫星光谱波段的影响，并揭示哨兵-2 号卫星的光谱内容，以 10 米的空间分辨率估算森林高度和冠层覆盖率，从而填补了当前研究的空白。我们首先利用新提出的植被指数（VI）估算了 FCC，然后通过优化哨兵-2 波段系数来减轻土壤的影响。我们估算了 H 在一年和两年生长期内的变化（ΔH），分析了光谱变化与树高增长之间的关系。我们提出了优化 FCC、H 和 ΔH 指数的工作流程，以应对半干旱树木覆盖中土壤背景影响的挑战。结果表明，优化指数与 FCC、H 和 ΔH 关系密切，使用线性模型得出的 R2 分别为 0.76、0.70 和 0.62。此外，还在一个温带森林研究区对所提出的方法进行了严格测试，该研究区的特点是林分茂密，参考数据来自激光扫描，测试结果适中，表明我们的方法在估算不同森林结构的 H 方面具有稳健性和可靠性。

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引用次数: 0

Analysis of the relationship between vegetation indices and forage nutritional parameters in Mediterranean semi-arid rainfed grasslands

IF 2.6 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Arid Environments

Pub Date : 2025-03-06 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105344

Toro-Mujica P , Lozano-Parra J , Enríquez-Hidalgo D

Information about herbage availability and its nutritional value is fundamental to implementing efficient and precise grassland management. However, obtaining such information is time-consuming and expensive, representing an important burden particularly when the herbage resources are scarce. The use of new technologies, such as remote sensing, has been proposed as a promising alternative. The objectives of this study were 1) to characterize the seasonal variation of herbage biomass and nutritional value of the naturalized grassland of the Mediterranean semi-arid zone, and 2) to develop regression models to predict the nutritional value of naturalized grasslands using vegetational indices (VIs) as predictive variables. The herbage growth and nutritional value of the grasslands were monitored. At the same time, multispectral images were captured, and VIs were generated. Results showed differences in botanical composition and nutritional values among sampling sites. The VIs that presented the best adequacy, based on values of R² and RMSE, for determining dry matter, crude protein, neutral, and acid detergent fibers were NDVI, CLRG, CLRG and GNDVI, respectively. The quick estimation of the nutritional value of grasslands from VIs obtained through aerial images offers significant potential for improving planning processes.

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引用次数: 0

Deforestation significantly reduces litter fauna by changing litter quantity, complexity and quality at the plant-soil interface

IF 2.6 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Arid Environments

Pub Date : 2025-03-02 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105345

Chiappero María Fernanda , Moreno María Laura , Martinez Pablo Antonio , Pérez-Harguindeguy Natalia

The high deforestation rates of the Arid Chaco forests have reduced tree cover and habitat of species living above and belowground. The effects of deforestation have been widely studied in aboveground organisms, with belowground communities being less understood. Here, we evaluated how deforestation transitions from forest to open landscapes affect litter fauna communities (taxonomic and functional abundance and richness) via changes in litter quantity, complexity, and quality. Deforestation caused a marked reduction in litter quantity and complexity, but not in litter quality. Treeless landscape (hereafter referred as open shrubland) presented lower taxonomic abundance and richness than forests, as well as lower abundance and richness of decomposers and predators. Although most of the changes in litter affected litter fauna, litter quality (e.g., C:N) was the most important driver of taxonomic and functional abundance and richness. These results highlight that litter fauna can be affected by both drastic and subtle changes in litter characteristics driven by modifications in plant communities, since litter is the habitat and food for these organisms. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms by which deforestation transitions affect soil organisms in arid environments.

{"title":"Deforestation significantly reduces litter fauna by changing litter quantity, complexity and quality at the plant-soil interface","authors":"Chiappero María Fernanda , Moreno María Laura , Martinez Pablo Antonio , Pérez-Harguindeguy Natalia","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105345","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105345","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The high deforestation rates of the Arid Chaco forests have reduced tree cover and habitat of species living above and belowground. The effects of deforestation have been widely studied in aboveground organisms, with belowground communities being less understood. Here, we evaluated how deforestation transitions from forest to open landscapes affect litter fauna communities (taxonomic and functional abundance and richness) via changes in litter quantity, complexity, and quality. Deforestation caused a marked reduction in litter quantity and complexity, but not in litter quality. Treeless landscape (hereafter referred as open shrubland) presented lower taxonomic abundance and richness than forests, as well as lower abundance and richness of decomposers and predators. Although most of the changes in litter affected litter fauna, litter quality (e.g., C:N) was the most important driver of taxonomic and functional abundance and richness. These results highlight that litter fauna can be affected by both drastic and subtle changes in litter characteristics driven by modifications in plant communities, since litter is the habitat and food for these organisms. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms by which deforestation transitions affect soil organisms in arid environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 105345"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529353","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}

引用次数: 0

Leveraging agrobiodiversity for sustainable transition in greenhouse-based intensive agriculture across Mediterranean drylands

IF 2.6 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Arid Environments

Pub Date : 2025-03-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105354

Lorenzo Carretero-Paulet , Antonio J. Mendoza-Fernández , Francisco Javier Alcalá , Antonio J. Castro

Dryland regions cover more than 40% of Earth's land, support around one-third of the global population, and are continuously expanding because of Climate Change and other drivers of Global Change. To overcome the harsh conditions for agriculture development and sustain food security, dryland regions have adopted intensive agricultural practices, notably greenhouse-based groundwater-dependent horticulture. The southern coastal plains of Almería, SE Spain, the driest region of the entire European continent, exemplifies this agricultural model by hosting the second largest concentration of greenhouses in the world. Since its origin in the 1960's, greenhouse horticulture in Almería has been considered a model of success, producing millions of fresh produce, contributing to the economic prosperity and social structuring, and adapting to the growing requirements of quality and safety. However, the once-celebrated "Almería's economic miracle" is currently facing signs of socioeconomic collapse and environmental exhaustion, driven by the depletion of natural resources, especially water, sand and soil, waste management challenges, e.g., plastic and biomass, and significant threats to (agro)biodiversity. We explore here a possible transition in Almería's agricultural model towards a more sustainable paradigm based on leveraging agrobiodiversity for crop diversification. This tentative model will be supported by agroforestry systems based on perennial woody crop species, which may offer high added value, adaptability to the changing and stressful conditions driven by Global Change, and potential for ecological restoration of degraded lands. We believe Almería is positioned as an ideal “laboratory” for proposing a new agricultural model that reconcile food security and environmental sustainability.

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引用次数: 0

Invasive plants contribute to arrested succession in highly disturbed tropical dry forests: A field experiment in the Brazilian Caatinga

IF 2.6 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Arid Environments

Pub Date : 2025-02-26 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105341

Ana Maria Siqueira Quirino , Carlos A. Peres , Marcelo Tabarelli , Bruno K.C. Filgueiras

Dry forests have been historically modified by multiple human disturbances resulting in a mosaic of forest areas with different successional stages embedded within anthropogenic landscapes. Anthropogenic drivers, such as the spread of invasive species, can favour the establishment of alternative successional trajectories in regenerating dry forests, thereby shifting communities into a novel functional and structural composition. Here, we use a randomized complete block factorial field experiment to assess the role of invasive plant species and nutrient enrichment in the community-level attributes of native plants in a regenerating forest stand of Caatinga dry forest, northeastern Brazil. We sampled 48 3 × 3 m plots corresponding to eight treatments showing different levels of exotic grass invasion and nutrient input (NPK). Our results show that plant assemblages were impoverished and dominated by a few species of herbs, shrubs and subshrubs indicating a scenario of arrested succession. We demonstrate cross-treatment differences in community-level attributes of native plants with most exclusive plant species restricted to treatments with low presence of invasive species. The number of rare native species declined with increasing invader cover, while native plant species richness increased. However, this positive effect of invasive species on total species richness was associated with the proliferation of native grass, herbs and shrubs. Our findings show the important role of both high densities of an invasive grass species and land-use history on native plant assemblages, with drastic impoverishment in terms of tree species, which clearly indicates a scenario of arrested succession.

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引用次数: 0

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improve the growth, nutrient uptake and survival of micropropagated agave (Agave marmorata Roezl) plantlets during acclimatization

IF 2.6 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Arid Environments

Pub Date : 2025-02-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105330

Moreno-Hernández María del Rosario , López-Buenfil José Abel , Serrano-Fuentes María Karen , Contreras-Oliva Adriana , Bello-Bello Jericó Jabín

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi improve the productive capacity of the soil, increasing plant survival and physiological development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different AM fungi doses Rhizophagus intraradices on the survival and physiological development of agave (Agave marmorata Roezl) plantlets during the acclimatization stage. Agave marmorata plantlets were treated with different doses of R. intraradices: 0 (control), 25, 50, 100 and 200 spores per plantlet (s/p). At 150 days of acclimatization stage in the greenhouse, the mycorrhizal colonization, survival percentage, plant development and dry matter were evaluated, as well as the chlorophyll, phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) and macro- and micronutrient contents. Mycorrhizal characterization confirmed the colonization of R. intraradices spores in A. marmorata roots. At doses of 100 and 200 s/p, with 76% and 80% mycorrhizal colonization, respectively, an efficient symbiotic interaction was achieved, increasing the survival percentage. In addition, AM fungi had an effect on plantlet development variables, but not for dry matter. The highest chlorophyll and PEP contents were in the 50, 100 and 200 s/p treatments. No effects were observed on RuBP content. AM fungi affected N, P, K, Fe, Mn and B contents, while no significant differences were observed for Mg, Ca, Cu and Zn. The symbiosis between R. intraradices and A. marmorata in greenhouse conditions is an efficient alternative to improve the acclimatization process and could allow conditioning of the plants prior to transplanting in the field.

{"title":"Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improve the growth, nutrient uptake and survival of micropropagated agave (Agave marmorata Roezl) plantlets during acclimatization","authors":"Moreno-Hernández María del Rosario , López-Buenfil José Abel , Serrano-Fuentes María Karen , Contreras-Oliva Adriana , Bello-Bello Jericó Jabín","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105330","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105330","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi improve the productive capacity of the soil, increasing plant survival and physiological development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different AM fungi doses <em>Rhizophagus intraradices</em> on the survival and physiological development of agave (<em>Agave marmorata</em> Roezl) plantlets during the acclimatization stage. <em>Agave marmorata</em> plantlets were treated with different doses of <em>R. intraradices</em>: 0 (control), 25, 50, 100 and 200 spores per plantlet (s/p). At 150 days of acclimatization stage in the greenhouse, the mycorrhizal colonization, survival percentage, plant development and dry matter were evaluated, as well as the chlorophyll, phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) and macro- and micronutrient contents. Mycorrhizal characterization confirmed the colonization of <em>R. intraradices</em> spores in <em>A. marmorata</em> roots. At doses of 100 and 200 s/p, with 76% and 80% mycorrhizal colonization, respectively, an efficient symbiotic interaction was achieved, increasing the survival percentage. In addition, AM fungi had an effect on plantlet development variables, but not for dry matter. The highest chlorophyll and PEP contents were in the 50, 100 and 200 s/p treatments. No effects were observed on RuBP content. AM fungi affected N, P, K, Fe, Mn and B contents, while no significant differences were observed for Mg, Ca, Cu and Zn. The symbiosis between <em>R. intraradices</em> and <em>A. marmorata</em> in greenhouse conditions is an efficient alternative to improve the acclimatization process and could allow conditioning of the plants prior to transplanting in the field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 105330"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143474529","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}

引用次数: 0

Biomass production by tree species is negative affected by decreased precipitation and chronic anthropogenic disturbance in a Caatinga dry forest

IF 2.6 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Arid Environments

Pub Date : 2025-02-23 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105340

Mariana Alves Pagotto , José Roberto Vieira Aragão , Bruna Hornink , Itallo Romany Nunes Menezes , Mario Tomazello-Filho , Claudio Sergio Lisi , Inara R. Leal , Marcelo Tabarelli

Tropical dry forests are currently exposed to slash-and-burn agriculture, livestock production, exploitation of forest products and increasing aridity, with impacts on primary productivity still to be investigated. In this study, we investigated how chronic anthropogenic disturbance and reduced rainfall affect the woody biomass of Pityrocarpa moniliformis in a Caatinga dry forest, Brazil. Using tree-ring analysis for a total of 50 individuals, we addressed tree age, radial growth rates, and accumulated woody biomass across sites exposed to varying levels of human disturbance and average rainfall. Accumulated woody biomass ranged from 4.31 to 219.26 kg per individual (22 and 27 years, respectively). The highest values were found in wetter, less disturbed sites (90.41 ± 54.75 kg), while the lowest were observed in drier but also less disturbed sites (36.40 ± 18.39 kg). Growth and biomass were positively correlated with rainfall but negatively affected by drought and disturbance. Trees in drier areas required at least eight additional years to reach biomass levels comparable to those in wetter areas. Considering the extremes of the precipitation gradient, drier sites exhibited, on average, 59.74% less biomass. These findings highlight the impacts of aridity and chronic disturbance on tree growth and biomass, ultimately influencing dry forest productivity.

{"title":"Biomass production by tree species is negative affected by decreased precipitation and chronic anthropogenic disturbance in a Caatinga dry forest","authors":"Mariana Alves Pagotto , José Roberto Vieira Aragão , Bruna Hornink , Itallo Romany Nunes Menezes , Mario Tomazello-Filho , Claudio Sergio Lisi , Inara R. Leal , Marcelo Tabarelli","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105340","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105340","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tropical dry forests are currently exposed to slash-and-burn agriculture, livestock production, exploitation of forest products and increasing aridity, with impacts on primary productivity still to be investigated. In this study, we investigated how chronic anthropogenic disturbance and reduced rainfall affect the woody biomass of <em>Pityrocarpa moniliformis</em> in a Caatinga dry forest, Brazil. Using tree-ring analysis for a total of 50 individuals, we addressed tree age, radial growth rates, and accumulated woody biomass across sites exposed to varying levels of human disturbance and average rainfall. Accumulated woody biomass ranged from 4.31 to 219.26 kg per individual (22 and 27 years, respectively). The highest values were found in wetter, less disturbed sites (90.41 ± 54.75 kg), while the lowest were observed in drier but also less disturbed sites (36.40 ± 18.39 kg). Growth and biomass were positively correlated with rainfall but negatively affected by drought and disturbance. Trees in drier areas required at least eight additional years to reach biomass levels comparable to those in wetter areas. Considering the extremes of the precipitation gradient, drier sites exhibited, on average, 59.74% less biomass. These findings highlight the impacts of aridity and chronic disturbance on tree growth and biomass, ultimately influencing dry forest productivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 105340"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143471226","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}

引用次数: 0

Response of total primary productivity of vegetation to meteorological drought in arid and semi-arid regions of China

IF 2.6 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Arid Environments

Pub Date : 2025-02-23 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105346

Jianyang Shi, Minxia Liu, Yu Li, Chengxuan Guan

Since the beginning of the 21st century, global climate change has led to severe vegetation degradation in arid and semi-arid regions. However, the potential mechanisms by which meteorological drought affects changes in vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP) under the involvement of multiple environmental factors remain unclear. From 2007 to 2021, we utilized data on temperature (Ta), precipitation (Prec), solar radiation (SW), etc., to explore the response mechanisms of vegetation GPP to meteorological drought from seasonal and growing season perspectives. The results indicate that spring drought has the most significant impact on vegetation GPP. Summer is the peak period for GPP. Additionally, under meteorological drought conditions, GPP shows significant responses at a time scale of a 6-month lag, with the largest proportion occurring over a 5-month accumulation period. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicates that, within the mechanism of GPP variation during the vegetation growing season, the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) has a total standardized effect of −0.17 on GPP. Ta and Prec indirectly promote GPP growth by significantly altering soil moisture (SM) and other indirect pathways. Prec has the most prominent promoting effect on GPP among all factors, while SPEI plays a critical role in inhibiting GPP. Moreover, we found that when Ta (12.74 °C), Prec (26.59 mm), and SW (24.87 W/m²), SPEI's influence on GPP experiences a threshold turning point. This research will contribute to strengthening future ecosystem management and mitigating the threats of climate change to ecosystems.

{"title":"Response of total primary productivity of vegetation to meteorological drought in arid and semi-arid regions of China","authors":"Jianyang Shi, Minxia Liu, Yu Li, Chengxuan Guan","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105346","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105346","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Since the beginning of the 21st century, global climate change has led to severe vegetation degradation in arid and semi-arid regions. However, the potential mechanisms by which meteorological drought affects changes in vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP) under the involvement of multiple environmental factors remain unclear. From 2007 to 2021, we utilized data on temperature (Ta), precipitation (Prec), solar radiation (SW), etc., to explore the response mechanisms of vegetation GPP to meteorological drought from seasonal and growing season perspectives. The results indicate that spring drought has the most significant impact on vegetation GPP. Summer is the peak period for GPP. Additionally, under meteorological drought conditions, GPP shows significant responses at a time scale of a 6-month lag, with the largest proportion occurring over a 5-month accumulation period. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicates that, within the mechanism of GPP variation during the vegetation growing season, the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) has a total standardized effect of −0.17 on GPP. Ta and Prec indirectly promote GPP growth by significantly altering soil moisture (SM) and other indirect pathways. Prec has the most prominent promoting effect on GPP among all factors, while SPEI plays a critical role in inhibiting GPP. Moreover, we found that when Ta (12.74 °C), Prec (26.59 mm), and SW (24.87 W/m<sup>2</sup>), SPEI's influence on GPP experiences a threshold turning point. This research will contribute to strengthening future ecosystem management and mitigating the threats of climate change to ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 105346"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143474445","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}

引用次数: 0

Faster growth rate induces higher ecosystem productivity in Inner Mongolian grasslands during 2000–2018 years

IF 2.6 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Arid Environments

Pub Date : 2025-02-22 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105347

Zexu Nie , Chao Wang , Na Zhang

The dynamics of ecosystem productivity, which reflects carbon sequestration capacity, are closely linked to vegetation phenology and growth rates. Few studies investigate the linkages among phenology, growth rates, and productivity in grasslands at the regional scale, and it remains unclear how environmental factors impact ecosystem productivity by altering phenology and growth rates in different grassland types. We extracted vegetation phenology and growth rates (GR) from the remote sensing gross primary productivity (GPP) data from 2000 to 2018 to examine the connection of ecosystem productivity with vegetation phenology and growth rates in meadow steppe, typical steppe, and desert steppe in Inner Mongolia, and assessed the influence of environmental factors on these dynamics. We found that the GR during the early growing season (from the start to the peak of growing season) was the key contributor to annual GPP across Inner Mongolian steppes. The soil moisture during the early growing season was the predominant environmental factor of the annual GPP because of its significant influence on GR. These results suggested that the early growing season played a pivotal role in productivity accumulation, and the contribution of this stage to annual GPP was particularly pronounced in the water-limited steppe types, which offers new insights into the mechanisms driving productivity dynamics and guides policymakers on managing and conserving grassland ecosystems amid climate change.

{"title":"Faster growth rate induces higher ecosystem productivity in Inner Mongolian grasslands during 2000–2018 years","authors":"Zexu Nie , Chao Wang , Na Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105347","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105347","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The dynamics of ecosystem productivity, which reflects carbon sequestration capacity, are closely linked to vegetation phenology and growth rates. Few studies investigate the linkages among phenology, growth rates, and productivity in grasslands at the regional scale, and it remains unclear how environmental factors impact ecosystem productivity by altering phenology and growth rates in different grassland types. We extracted vegetation phenology and growth rates (GR) from the remote sensing gross primary productivity (GPP) data from 2000 to 2018 to examine the connection of ecosystem productivity with vegetation phenology and growth rates in meadow steppe, typical steppe, and desert steppe in Inner Mongolia, and assessed the influence of environmental factors on these dynamics. We found that the GR during the early growing season (from the start to the peak of growing season) was the key contributor to annual GPP across Inner Mongolian steppes. The soil moisture during the early growing season was the predominant environmental factor of the annual GPP because of its significant influence on GR. These results suggested that the early growing season played a pivotal role in productivity accumulation, and the contribution of this stage to annual GPP was particularly pronounced in the water-limited steppe types, which offers new insights into the mechanisms driving productivity dynamics and guides policymakers on managing and conserving grassland ecosystems amid climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 105347"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143465116","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}

引用次数: 0

Influence of Cytinus hypocistis parasitism on fruit and seed production in the mediterranean shrub Cistus albidus

IF 2.6 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Arid Environments

Pub Date : 2025-02-21 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105338

Nerea Sánchez-Ordóñez , Clara Julián , Laia Jené , Marta Pintó-Marijuan , Sergi Munné-Bosch

Inter-individual variability in fruit and seed production are crucial factors influencing species distribution, community dynamics, and the effective conservation of ecosystems, which often are shaped by complex environmental interactions. We assessed inter-individual variability on fruit and seed production in the Mediterranean shrub Cistus albidus, and how it is influenced by parasitism in a natural population. A huge inter-individual variability was observed in fruit and seed production, as well as in seed viability, without any clear relationship between these parameters in C. albidus plants growing in a Mediterranean ecosystem. However, parasitism reduced both seed production per fruit and seed viability in C. albidus, highlighting the negative impact of C. hypocistis on host reproductive success. Furthermore, identification of plant parasitism in the field unmasked some biases in the effects of nutrients observed in correlative analyses between seed nutrient contents and seed viability loss. This study provides new insights into parasitism, specifically focusing on the detrimental effects of the holoparasitic plant Cytinus hypocistis on the reproductive fitness of its host C. albidus, and highlights the importance of identifying the effects of parasitism in the study of inter-individual variability in fruit and seed production in Mediterranean ecosystems.

{"title":"Influence of Cytinus hypocistis parasitism on fruit and seed production in the mediterranean shrub Cistus albidus","authors":"Nerea Sánchez-Ordóñez , Clara Julián , Laia Jené , Marta Pintó-Marijuan , Sergi Munné-Bosch","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105338","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105338","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inter-individual variability in fruit and seed production are crucial factors influencing species distribution, community dynamics, and the effective conservation of ecosystems, which often are shaped by complex environmental interactions. We assessed inter-individual variability on fruit and seed production in the Mediterranean shrub <em>Cistus albidus</em>, and how it is influenced by parasitism in a natural population. A huge inter-individual variability was observed in fruit and seed production, as well as in seed viability, without any clear relationship between these parameters in <em>C. albidus</em> plants growing in a Mediterranean ecosystem. However, parasitism reduced both seed production per fruit and seed viability in <em>C. albidus</em>, highlighting the negative impact of <em>C. hypocistis</em> on host reproductive success. Furthermore, identification of plant parasitism in the field unmasked some biases in the effects of nutrients observed in correlative analyses between seed nutrient contents and seed viability loss. This study provides new insights into parasitism, specifically focusing on the detrimental effects of the holoparasitic plant <em>Cytinus hypocistis</em> on the reproductive fitness of its host <em>C. albidus</em>, and highlights the importance of identifying the effects of parasitism in the study of inter-individual variability in fruit and seed production in Mediterranean ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 105338"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143465115","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}

引用次数: 0