Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105283
Shay Bar
Recent archaeological excavations in the Early Bronze Age site Sheikh Diab 2 in the Jordan Valley revealed a mysterious ceramic object in the shape of a perforated disc. The disc differs in dimension and surface treatment from smaller items with smaller perforations, known since the Pottery Neolithic, usually interpreted as spinning whorls or weights for looms or fishnets.
A survey of Early Bronze Age published data in Israel and adjacent regions shows three parallels from the site of Ashqelon Afridar on the southern Israeli coastal plain. These objects are probably an offshoot of an enigmatic ceramic type from the eastern Sahara Desert, termed ‘Clayton Rings’, first discovered more than 90 years ago. Clayton Rings are truncated ceramic rings open at both ends, often found together with perforated discs. While their function is unclear, the favored hypothesis is related to food procurement, specifically the collection of honey. The object, less plausibly, may also represent a very big loom whorl.
This paper addresses the current data on the manufacture, distribution, and possible function of Clayton Rings and their associated perforated discs, which are rare in the southern Levant, and assesses a possible long-distance connection between two distant regions.
{"title":"‘Clayton Rings’: A link between eastern Sahara and the southern Levant in the Early Bronze Age?","authors":"Shay Bar","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105283","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105283","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent archaeological excavations in the Early Bronze Age site Sheikh Diab 2 in the Jordan Valley revealed a mysterious ceramic object in the shape of a perforated disc. The disc differs in dimension and surface treatment from smaller items with smaller perforations, known since the Pottery Neolithic, usually interpreted as spinning whorls or weights for looms or fishnets.</div><div>A survey of Early Bronze Age published data in Israel and adjacent regions shows three parallels from the site of Ashqelon Afridar on the southern Israeli coastal plain. These objects are probably an offshoot of an enigmatic ceramic type from the eastern Sahara Desert, termed ‘Clayton Rings’, first discovered more than 90 years ago. Clayton Rings are truncated ceramic rings open at both ends, often found together with perforated discs. While their function is unclear, the favored hypothesis is related to food procurement, specifically the collection of honey. The object, less plausibly, may also represent a very big loom whorl.</div><div>This paper addresses the current data on the manufacture, distribution, and possible function of Clayton Rings and their associated perforated discs, which are rare in the southern Levant, and assesses a possible long-distance connection between two distant regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"226 ","pages":"Article 105283"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143148597","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}
Pub Date : 2024-12-31DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105313
Jingzhong Wang , Zhennan Ge , Ruyang Xia , Shangwei He , Shuie Zhan
The semi-arid Hetao Plain in the northwest is one of the largest and earliest irrigated areas in the Yellow River Basin. The Hetao Plain has become the focus of attention due to its rapidly growing population and water requirements. In this study, the hydrographic geochemistry of surface water and groundwater in the Hetao Plain was researched, and the effects of geochemical processes and human activities on these characteristics were also investigated. Most water samples were hard-brackish or hard-fresh. The sodium absorption ratio indicated that most of the water was of moderate quality for irrigation, and the poor-quality water had greater Na+ concentrations. Three major water types were identified: Na-HCO3, Ca-Na-HCO3 and Na-SO4-Cl, and the predominance was Ca-Na-HCO3 which accounted for 55.3% of the water types. Geochemical and stable isotope data suggested that the releasing of principal solutes in the waters was mostly dominated by silicate weathering and dissolution, and the processes of cation exchange and evaporation also performed significant roles, and surface waters were influenced by evaporation and groundwater discharge. Correlation and principal component analyses indicated that pH, EC, TDS, Na, K, Mg, HCO3, SO4, Cl, δ18O and δD, with a correlation coefficient of no less than 0.37, are primarily affected by natural processes. Ca and Mg may be associated with the parent material of soil formation in the area. NO3 and PO4 are mainly dominated by anthropogenic impacts, and the use of chemical fertilizers, industrial wastewater and urban domestic sewage emissions had a significant influence on water chemistry.
{"title":"Hydrogeochemistry and stable isotopes of water: Characteristics, influencing factors and sources in a semi-arid irrigated basin, Hetao Plain","authors":"Jingzhong Wang , Zhennan Ge , Ruyang Xia , Shangwei He , Shuie Zhan","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The semi-arid Hetao Plain in the northwest is one of the largest and earliest irrigated areas in the Yellow River Basin. The Hetao Plain has become the focus of attention due to its rapidly growing population and water requirements. In this study, the hydrographic geochemistry of surface water and groundwater in the Hetao Plain was researched, and the effects of geochemical processes and human activities on these characteristics were also investigated. Most water samples were hard-brackish or hard-fresh. The sodium absorption ratio indicated that most of the water was of moderate quality for irrigation, and the poor-quality water had greater Na<sup>+</sup> concentrations. Three major water types were identified: Na-HCO<sub>3</sub>, Ca-Na-HCO<sub>3</sub> and Na-SO<sub>4</sub>-Cl, and the predominance was Ca-Na-HCO<sub>3</sub> which accounted for 55.3% of the water types. Geochemical and stable isotope data suggested that the releasing of principal solutes in the waters was mostly dominated by silicate weathering and dissolution, and the processes of cation exchange and evaporation also performed significant roles, and surface waters were influenced by evaporation and groundwater discharge. Correlation and principal component analyses indicated that pH, EC, TDS, Na, K, Mg, HCO<sub>3</sub>, SO<sub>4</sub>, Cl, <em>δ</em><sup>18</sup>O and <em>δ</em>D, with a correlation coefficient of no less than 0.37, are primarily affected by natural processes. Ca and Mg may be associated with the parent material of soil formation in the area. NO<sub>3</sub> and PO<sub>4</sub> are mainly dominated by anthropogenic impacts, and the use of chemical fertilizers, industrial wastewater and urban domestic sewage emissions had a significant influence on water chemistry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 105313"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136700","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}
Pub Date : 2024-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105312
Martin Ebner , Anita Roth-Nebelsick , Hervé Bocherens , Felix Gschwender , Moritz Baumeister , Nashara Miranda Ebner , Karin Hohberg , Huei Ying Gan , Clemént Schneider , Gillian Maggs-Kölling , Eugene Marais , Ricarda Lehmitz , Tatiana Miranda
The fog harvesting grass Stipagrostis sabulicola is one of the few plants able to cope with the hostile conditions in dune fields of the hyper-arid Namib Desert. S. sabulicola tussocks modify the substrate and atmospheric conditions leading to the formation of fog plant oases (FPO). Average air temperature within FPO canopies was reduced by up to 7.5 °C and air humidity raised by 11 % compared to the bare sand, inducing a lowering of vapor pressure deficit (VPD) by up to 1.5 kPa. Stomatal conductance showed a negatitive correlation with VPD, rising to an average of 435 mmol.m-2 s-1 in the forenoon of foggy days. Due to leaf water runoff during fog events, substrate moisture at the plant basis increased locally to values of up to 16% ensuring adequate plant water supply during fogless days. FPO substrates had finer grain sizes and doubled concentration of organic particles, thus improving water storage capacity. Fog interception rate of the sand increased by up to 109 % with steepening of S. sabulicola mounds. Improved water availability, balanced temperature conditions and the presence of digestible plant material promote niche-building for substrate life, which in turn is a prerequisite for the functioning of fog-driven oases ecosystems.
{"title":"The fog harvesting Namib Desert dune grass Stipagrostis sabulicola promotes niche building by modifying substrate and atmosphere conditions","authors":"Martin Ebner , Anita Roth-Nebelsick , Hervé Bocherens , Felix Gschwender , Moritz Baumeister , Nashara Miranda Ebner , Karin Hohberg , Huei Ying Gan , Clemént Schneider , Gillian Maggs-Kölling , Eugene Marais , Ricarda Lehmitz , Tatiana Miranda","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fog harvesting grass <em>Stipagrostis sabulicola</em> is one of the few plants able to cope with the hostile conditions in dune fields of the hyper-arid Namib Desert. <em>S. sabulicola</em> tussocks modify the substrate and atmospheric conditions leading to the formation of fog plant oases (FPO). Average air temperature within FPO canopies was reduced by up to 7.5 °C and air humidity raised by 11 % compared to the bare sand, inducing a lowering of vapor pressure deficit (VPD) by up to 1.5 kPa. Stomatal conductance showed a negatitive correlation with VPD, rising to an average of 435 mmol.m-2 s-1 in the forenoon of foggy days. Due to leaf water runoff during fog events, substrate moisture at the plant basis increased locally to values of up to 16% ensuring adequate plant water supply during fogless days. FPO substrates had finer grain sizes and doubled concentration of organic particles, thus improving water storage capacity. Fog interception rate of the sand increased by up to 109 % with steepening of <em>S. sabulicola</em> mounds. Improved water availability, balanced temperature conditions and the presence of digestible plant material promote niche-building for substrate life, which in turn is a prerequisite for the functioning of fog-driven oases ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 105312"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105310
C. Munyati
The effects of El Niño events on rangeland grass phenology and biomass are often presumed and, therefore, seldom quantified. Here, the effects on the grass start of growing season (SOS), end of growing season (EOS), length of growing season (LGS), and aboveground biomass (AGB) are quantified. The SOS, EOS, LGS, and peak phenology dates in a normal and an El Niño season were identified using trends in 16-day Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) values derived from the MODIS (MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) MOD13Q1 product. During the El Niño rainy season, grass AGB samples were collected from dispersed sampling sites soon after the peak phenology stage. Their Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) values, computed from 10 m resolution Sentinel-2 MSI images, were correlated with the AGB. A statistically significant (p < 0.05) linear regression model for predicting grass AGB from SAVI values was developed. Using the model, the non-El Niño season's peak phenology AGB values at the respective sites were predicted from Sentinel-2 MSI image SAVI values. The El Niño event caused erratic seasonal rainfall, a two-month delay to the SOS, a one-month late EOS, and a one month shorter LGS. On average, grass AGB was 59% lower due to the event.
{"title":"Quantifying changes in savanna rangeland grass phenology and biomass due to an El Niño event","authors":"C. Munyati","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105310","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105310","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The effects of El Niño events on rangeland grass phenology and biomass are often presumed and, therefore, seldom quantified. Here, the effects on the grass start of growing season (SOS), end of growing season (EOS), length of growing season (LGS), and aboveground biomass (AGB) are quantified. The SOS, EOS, LGS, and peak phenology dates in a normal and an El Niño season were identified using trends in 16-day Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) values derived from the MODIS (MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) MOD13Q1 product. During the El Niño rainy season, grass AGB samples were collected from dispersed sampling sites soon after the peak phenology stage. Their Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) values, computed from 10 m resolution Sentinel-2 MSI images, were correlated with the AGB. A statistically significant (<em>p</em> < 0.05) linear regression model for predicting grass AGB from SAVI values was developed. Using the model, the non-El Niño season's peak phenology AGB values at the respective sites were predicted from Sentinel-2 MSI image SAVI values. The El Niño event caused erratic seasonal rainfall, a two-month delay to the SOS, a one-month late EOS, and a one month shorter LGS. On average, grass AGB was 59% lower due to the event.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 105310"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136703","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}
Pub Date : 2024-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105309
Michael Wenborn , Vincent Nijman , Ash Parton , Magdalena S. Svensson , Aho N. Nashongo , Morgan Hauptfleisch
The Northern Highlands of northwest Namibia are a particularly remote and arid landscape, where wildlife, habitats and local communities are increasingly at risk from future climate change events. There has previously been minimal research on the population of African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) in these Highlands. The Highlands are located just to the west of Etosha National Park. One potential factor influencing the movement of elephants from the Park into the Highlands is their food preferences. The aim of this study was to determine the preferred forage species for elephants in the Highlands. The study benefited from local ecological knowledge of community game guards, and extensive field patrols to assess the most preferred trees of elephants. Our findings indicate clear selection preference for African star chestnut (Sterculia africana), and Commiphora species such as blue-leaved corkwood (Commiphora glaucescens). These species grow on steep mountain slopes and elephants are climbing slopes to browse those trees. Our results indicate that some tree species are much less preferred, most of which tend to be located in valleys or lower slopes. This suggests that a major factor in the increase in elephant population in the Northern Highlands is the preferred vegetation available on the mountain slopes compared to the vegetation on the flat landscape of Etosha.
{"title":"Local ecological knowledge on preferred vegetation of African savanna elephants in the semi-desert highlands of northwest Namibia","authors":"Michael Wenborn , Vincent Nijman , Ash Parton , Magdalena S. Svensson , Aho N. Nashongo , Morgan Hauptfleisch","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105309","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105309","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Northern Highlands of northwest Namibia are a particularly remote and arid landscape, where wildlife, habitats and local communities are increasingly at risk from future climate change events. There has previously been minimal research on the population of African savanna elephants (<em>Loxodonta africana</em>) in these Highlands. The Highlands are located just to the west of Etosha National Park. One potential factor influencing the movement of elephants from the Park into the Highlands is their food preferences. The aim of this study was to determine the preferred forage species for elephants in the Highlands. The study benefited from local ecological knowledge of community game guards, and extensive field patrols to assess the most preferred trees of elephants. Our findings indicate clear selection preference for African star chestnut (<em>Sterculia africana</em>), and <em>Commiphora</em> species such as blue-leaved corkwood (<em>Commiphora glaucescens</em>). These species grow on steep mountain slopes and elephants are climbing slopes to browse those trees. Our results indicate that some tree species are much less preferred, most of which tend to be located in valleys or lower slopes. This suggests that a major factor in the increase in elephant population in the Northern Highlands is the preferred vegetation available on the mountain slopes compared to the vegetation on the flat landscape of Etosha.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 105309"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-21DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105297
Nadia del Carmen Ruiz-Núñez , Marco Antonio Vásquez-Dávila , Gladys Isabel Manzanero-Medina , Alejandro Flores-Manzanero
Despite its economic and culinary importance, our understanding of biological aspects in natural populations of Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum (=Cag) is scarce. This study examines the association of Cag with two plants species, Celtis pallida (a shrub) and Neltuma laevigata (a tree) by considering nursing relationships, soil properties and avian seed dispersal, in a semiarid valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. Cag mature plants and seedlings were measured in two sampling sites (hedgerows and original vegetation), including their associated plants (nurse). Additionally, soil properties were registered and potential disperser birds if detected were recorded. Our results reveal a positive correlation between the presence of Cag and nurse species, coupled with low phosphorus and high nitrogen levels in soil. Cag's distribution is influenced by avian dispersers, highlighting the importance of Toxostoma curvirostre and Mimus polyglottos. Local hedgerows emerge as fundamentals for the conservation of Cag, serving as nurturing environments that promote micro-environmental conditions. Hence, to promote the permanence and expansion of Cag populations, we propose the preservation of species-specific nurse plants and the implementation of traditional agroforestry systems.
{"title":"Nurse plants, soil nutrients, and avian seed dispersal of wild chile peppers in a semiarid valley of Southern Mexico","authors":"Nadia del Carmen Ruiz-Núñez , Marco Antonio Vásquez-Dávila , Gladys Isabel Manzanero-Medina , Alejandro Flores-Manzanero","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105297","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105297","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite its economic and culinary importance, our understanding of biological aspects in natural populations of <em>Capsicum annuum</em> var. <em>glabriusculum</em> (=<em>Cag</em>) is scarce. This study examines the association of <em>Cag</em> with two plants species, <em>Celtis pallida</em> (a shrub) and <em>Neltuma laevigata</em> (a tree) by considering nursing relationships, soil properties and avian seed dispersal, in a semiarid valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. <em>Cag</em> mature plants and seedlings were measured in two sampling sites (hedgerows and original vegetation), including their associated plants (nurse). Additionally, soil properties were registered and potential disperser birds if detected were recorded. Our results reveal a positive correlation between the presence of <em>Cag</em> and nurse species, coupled with low phosphorus and high nitrogen levels in soil. <em>Cag</em>'s distribution is influenced by avian dispersers, highlighting the importance of <em>Toxostoma curvirostre</em> and <em>Mimus polyglottos</em>. Local hedgerows emerge as fundamentals for the conservation of <em>Cag</em>, serving as nurturing environments that promote micro-environmental conditions. Hence, to promote the permanence and expansion of <em>Cag</em> populations, we propose the preservation of species-specific nurse plants and the implementation of traditional agroforestry systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 105297"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136658","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}
Pub Date : 2024-12-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105284
Sara Southern , Martha W. Sample , Clare E. Aslan
Anthropogenic change has increased extinction events to an estimated 100 times background rates, amplifying the need for conservation interventions to protect biodiversity. Rare plant research not only provides roadmaps for species protection, but also foundational understanding of how interacting stressors drive decline and the mechanisms by which extinctions occur. Pectis imberbis (Gray) is a recently listed endangered forb found in the biodiverse Sky Island Archipelago in the southwestern U.S. We investigated both intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of decline for this species by relating multiple stressors to vital rates calculated for the nine known P. imberbis populations of sufficient size to allow for demographic analysis. We observed an extraordinary recruitment event in 2022 and concomitantly high population growth across most populations. Despite this, long-term analysis reveals that only two populations have growth rates at or above replacement levels and indicates the importance of stochastic recruitment events in maintaining viability. Climate change is implicated in decline of P. imberbis, though evidence also suggests that browse by ungulates and competition with co-occurring plants depress vital rates. Conservation recommendations vary by population, due to positionality and jurisdictional management, but include reduction of co-occurring stressors, like installing fencing to prevent herbivory, and re-establishment of P. imberbis in climatically suitable areas. Long-term demographic monitoring of this species is warranted to quantify the contribution of stochastic events to viability, examine impacts of interacting stressors, and to project how populations will respond to climate change in this arid, biodiverse region.
{"title":"Interacting stressors drive landscape variation in demographic response of the endangered plant, Pectis imberbis (A. Gray)","authors":"Sara Southern , Martha W. Sample , Clare E. Aslan","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105284","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105284","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anthropogenic change has increased extinction events to an estimated 100 times background rates, amplifying the need for conservation interventions to protect biodiversity. Rare plant research not only provides roadmaps for species protection, but also foundational understanding of how interacting stressors drive decline and the mechanisms by which extinctions occur. <em>Pectis imberbis</em> (Gray) is a recently listed endangered forb found in the biodiverse Sky Island Archipelago in the southwestern U.S. We investigated both intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of decline for this species by relating multiple stressors to vital rates calculated for the nine known <em>P</em>. <em>imberbis</em> populations of sufficient size to allow for demographic analysis. We observed an extraordinary recruitment event in 2022 and concomitantly high population growth across most populations. Despite this, long-term analysis reveals that only two populations have growth rates at or above replacement levels and indicates the importance of stochastic recruitment events in maintaining viability. Climate change is implicated in decline of <em>P</em>. <em>imberbis</em>, though evidence also suggests that browse by ungulates and competition with co-occurring plants depress vital rates. Conservation recommendations vary by population, due to positionality and jurisdictional management, but include reduction of co-occurring stressors, like installing fencing to prevent herbivory, and re-establishment of <em>P</em>. <em>imberbis</em> in climatically suitable areas. Long-term demographic monitoring of this species is warranted to quantify the contribution of stochastic events to viability, examine impacts of interacting stressors, and to project how populations will respond to climate change in this arid, biodiverse region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 105284"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136660","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}
Pub Date : 2024-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105296
Chris R. Pavey , Peter J. McDonald , Jeff R. Cole , Catherine E.M. Nano
Information on site fidelity of rodents in arid Australia is limited, particularly in the transition from the low (bust) to high (boom) phase of population cycles. These transitions are triggered by periods of high rainfall that can bringing flooding to arid landscapes. We marked 298 plains mice, Pseudomys australis, occupying four sites within drought refuges in the western Simpson Desert, Australia, during a 43 month period that included three large rain events (>100 mm) over 12 months. Thirty-six individuals (12%) were recaptured between sampling sessions of which 31 (86%) were within the same site as the original capture. The interval between initial and final capture ranged from 89 to 1141 days with a mean ± SE of 306.06 ± 42.27 days. The majority of recaptures occurred within 12 months of capture (n = 28), with a smaller number between 12 and 24 months (n = 5). Three outliers consisted of two animals at 968 days and another at 1141 days. Our results show that large rain events were insufficient to cause local extinction of mice at these refuges. At least some animals persisted during large rain events or returned to refuges after standing water reduced, and subsequently bred as environmental conditions improved. We conclude that P. australis shows high fidelity to individual refuge sites.
{"title":"Site fidelity of the plains mouse, Pseudomys australis, in refuges during the transition from bust to boom","authors":"Chris R. Pavey , Peter J. McDonald , Jeff R. Cole , Catherine E.M. Nano","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105296","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105296","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Information on site fidelity of rodents in arid Australia is limited, particularly in the transition from the low (bust) to high (boom) phase of population cycles. These transitions are triggered by periods of high rainfall that can bringing flooding to arid landscapes. We marked 298 plains mice, <em>Pseudomys australis</em>, occupying four sites within drought refuges in the western Simpson Desert, Australia, during a 43 month period that included three large rain events (>100 mm) over 12 months. Thirty-six individuals (12%) were recaptured between sampling sessions of which 31 (86%) were within the same site as the original capture. The interval between initial and final capture ranged from 89 to 1141 days with a mean ± SE of 306.06 ± 42.27 days. The majority of recaptures occurred within 12 months of capture (n = 28), with a smaller number between 12 and 24 months (n = 5). Three outliers consisted of two animals at 968 days and another at 1141 days. Our results show that large rain events were insufficient to cause local extinction of mice at these refuges. At least some animals persisted during large rain events or returned to refuges after standing water reduced, and subsequently bred as environmental conditions improved. We conclude that <em>P. australis</em> shows high fidelity to individual refuge sites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 105296"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105295
Suzanne J. Milton , W. Richard J. Dean
Garden plantings in rural villages can affect surrounding natural habitats if non-indigenous and extralimital plant species escape the gardens through dispersal and establishment. Escape from gardens initially occurs via self-seeding. We surveyed woody plant species in roadside gardens in the village of Prince Albert in the arid Karoo region of South Africa to establish which species were being planted and which were self-seeding. We classified plants by origin (non-indigenous, extralimital and locally indigenous and by dispersal structure and recorded microsites where seedlings occurred. Non-indigenous species dominated garden plantings (62% of 1081 individuals and 65% of 92 species) and included 30 legally regulated invasive species. Most (75%) non-indigenous species self-seeded, however 70% of self-seeded individuals were extralimital or locally indigenous species. The best predictor of self-seeding was planting intensity. Self-seeding occurred where supplementary water was available, and seedling density was greater in covered than open sites. Self-seeding did not differ between species with dry and fleshy fruits. The extralimital species Searsia pendulina was a prolific self-seeder and has potential to become invasive. Nurseries should promote locally indigenous plants or extra-limital species that do not self-seed, to reduce the risk of invasions into natural rangeland and riparian areas surrounding villages. [198 words]
{"title":"Village aliens: Self-seeding of indigenous and non-indigenous woody garden plants in a small desert village","authors":"Suzanne J. Milton , W. Richard J. Dean","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105295","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105295","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Garden plantings in rural villages can affect surrounding natural habitats if non-indigenous and extralimital plant species escape the gardens through dispersal and establishment. Escape from gardens initially occurs via self-seeding. We surveyed woody plant species in roadside gardens in the village of Prince Albert in the arid Karoo region of South Africa to establish which species were being planted and which were self-seeding. We classified plants by origin (non-indigenous, extralimital and locally indigenous and by dispersal structure and recorded microsites where seedlings occurred. Non-indigenous species dominated garden plantings (62% of 1081 individuals and 65% of 92 species) and included 30 legally regulated invasive species. Most (75%) non-indigenous species self-seeded, however 70% of self-seeded individuals were extralimital or locally indigenous species. The best predictor of self-seeding was planting intensity. Self-seeding occurred where supplementary water was available, and seedling density was greater in covered than open sites. Self-seeding did not differ between species with dry and fleshy fruits. The extralimital species <em>Searsia pendulina</em> was a prolific self-seeder and has potential to become invasive. Nurseries should promote locally indigenous plants or extra-limital species that do not self-seed, to reduce the risk of invasions into natural rangeland and riparian areas surrounding villages. [198 words]</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 105295"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136708","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}
Pub Date : 2024-12-10DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105298
Katherine Bombi-Haedo , Fernanda M.P. Oliveira , Xavier Arnan , José Domingos Ribeiro-Neto , Inara R. Leal
The conversion of old-growth forests to agricultural fields, followed by abandonment, has resulted in worldwide expansion of secondary forests. Secondary succession can bring back many organisms, restoring ecosystem functions and services, but studies often focus on the recovery of plant rather than animal communities. Here, we investigate whether ground and arboreal ant species and functional groups recover during secondary succession in the Caatinga dry forest. We adopted a space-for-time chronosequence approach with 10 regenerating forest stands following slash-and-burn agriculture (8–54 years old) and five old-growth forest stands (no record of agriculture for over 100 years). We recorded 71 ant species (59 ground species, 27 arboreal, and 15 in both strata) belonging to 26 genera and six subfamilies. We found no significant differences in both taxonomic and functional diversities between regenerating and old-growth forest stands, considering the whole community and ground and arboreal ants separately. However, increases in plant biomass were positively related to taxonomic and functional diversities of ground ants, while arboreal ants remained unaltered across the entire biomass gradient. Species and functional group compositions did not differ between forest type. Nevertheless, increased similarity in plant biomass between regenerating and old-growth forests was positively related to species similarity for the whole ant community and ground ants, while arboreal ant species composition remained unresponsive. These findings suggest that either ant communities are not significantly altered by slash-and-burn agricultural practices or they recover quickly during secondary succession. Given that previous studies have documented the loss of ant species and functional groups due to increasing disturbance, it is reasonable to expect that these communities recover quickly as secondary succession progresses.
{"title":"Ant community recovery in regenerating Caatinga dry forest following slash-and-burn agriculture","authors":"Katherine Bombi-Haedo , Fernanda M.P. Oliveira , Xavier Arnan , José Domingos Ribeiro-Neto , Inara R. Leal","doi":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105298","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105298","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The conversion of old-growth forests to agricultural fields, followed by abandonment, has resulted in worldwide expansion of secondary forests. Secondary succession can bring back many organisms, restoring ecosystem functions and services, but studies often focus on the recovery of plant rather than animal communities. Here, we investigate whether ground and arboreal ant species and functional groups recover during secondary succession in the Caatinga dry forest. We adopted a space-for-time chronosequence approach with 10 regenerating forest stands following slash-and-burn agriculture (8–54 years old) and five old-growth forest stands (no record of agriculture for over 100 years). We recorded 71 ant species (59 ground species, 27 arboreal, and 15 in both strata) belonging to 26 genera and six subfamilies. We found no significant differences in both taxonomic and functional diversities between regenerating and old-growth forest stands, considering the whole community and ground and arboreal ants separately. However, increases in plant biomass were positively related to taxonomic and functional diversities of ground ants, while arboreal ants remained unaltered across the entire biomass gradient. Species and functional group compositions did not differ between forest type. Nevertheless, increased similarity in plant biomass between regenerating and old-growth forests was positively related to species similarity for the whole ant community and ground ants, while arboreal ant species composition remained unresponsive. These findings suggest that either ant communities are not significantly altered by slash-and-burn agricultural practices or they recover quickly during secondary succession. Given that previous studies have documented the loss of ant species and functional groups due to increasing disturbance, it is reasonable to expect that these communities recover quickly as secondary succession progresses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51080,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Arid Environments","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 105298"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136659","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}
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