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Copyright of Arid Zone Research / Ganhanqu Yanjiu is the property of Arid Zone Research Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This document discusses the challenges faced by plants in arid and semi-arid regions due to harsh environmental conditions such as limited rainfall, high temperatures, and poor soil nutrition. The document highlights the importance of understanding plant adaptation strategies to extreme environments in order to protect and manage local vegetation and ecosystems. The document presents research papers that cover various aspects of plant adaptation in arid regions, including water uptake mechanisms, physiological and biochemical adaptations, plant-soil microbial interactions, and ecosystem services. The research findings provide insights into how plants in arid regions adapt to environmental changes and maintain ecological balance. However, further research is needed to fully understand the processes and mechanisms of plant adaptation in extreme environments. [Extracted from the article]

Arid zone grassland is a crucial component of terrestrial ecosystems and plays a significant role in ecosystem protection and soil erosion prevention. However, accurately mapping grassland spatial information in arid zones presents a great challenge. The accuracy of remote sensing grassland mapping in arid zones is affected by spectral variability caused by the highly diverse landscapes. In this study, we explored the potential of a rectangular tile classification model, constructed using the random forest algorithm and integrated images from Sentinel-1A (synthetic aperture radar imagery) and Sentinel-2 (optical imagery), to enhance the accuracy of grassland mapping in the semiarid to arid regions of Ordos, China. Monthly Sentinel-1A median value images were synthesised, and four MODIS vegetation index mean value curves (NDVI, MSAVI, NDWI and NDBI) were used to determine the optimal synthesis time window for Sentinel-2 images. Seven experimental groups, including 14 experimental schemes based on the rectangular tile classification model and the traditional global classification model, were designed. By applying the rectangular tile classification model and Sentinel-integrated images, we successfully identified and extracted grasslands. The results showed the integration of vegetation index features and texture features improved the accuracy of grassland mapping. The overall accuracy of the Sentinel-integrated images from EXP7-2 was 88.23%, which was higher than the accuracy of the single sensor Sentinel-1A (53.52%) in EXP2-2 and Sentinel-2 (86.53%) in EXP5-2. In all seven experimental groups, the rectangular tile classification model was found to improve overall accuracy (OA) by 1.20% to 13.99% compared to the traditional global classification model. This paper presents novel perspectives and guidance for improving the accuracy of remote sensing mapping for land cover classification in arid zones with highly diverse landscapes. The study presents a flexible and scalable model within the Google Earth Engine framework, which can be readily customized and implemented in various geographical locations and time periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As arid lands expand across the globe, scholars increasingly turn to the archaeological record for examples of sustainable farming in extreme environments. The arid north coast of Peru was the setting of early and intensive irrigation-based farming; it is also periodically impacted by sudden, heavy rainfall related to the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. While the sociopolitical effects, technologies, and engineering expertise of these irrigation systems have been thoroughly examined and theorized, little is known about how farmers managed periods of water stress. The aim of this study is to test whether arid zone farming was supported by hybrid, intermittent flood and perennial water source systems in the prehispanic past. An arroyo in the Chicama Valley was selected for preliminary data collection, and these data are presented here: (1) drone photography of the arroyo capturing the aftermath of a recent (2023) rain event; and (2) potassium (K) soil test kit results from samples collected near suspected prehispanic check dam features in the same area. The paper combines these data with comparative examples from the literature to suggest that the prehispanic features functioned as water-harvesting infrastructure. The paper concludes that sustainable, arid zone farming can be supported by hybrid, intermittent flood and perennial water source systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is a global problem that particularly affects islands located in arid regions or regions with limited water resources. This issue has prompted the development of non-conventional water sources such as fossil fuel-powered desalination systems. Concern about the high energy and environmental costs associated with this type of facility has created the ideal framework for the proliferation of desalination projects powered by renewable energies, especially wind energy due to the multiple advantages it offers. This article provides a bibliometric analysis to identify the advances made in wind-powered desalination on islands. While many studies explore wind-powered desalination, none compile references specific to islands. This paper analyses islands' desalination needs and showcases wind-powered systems, exploring their types and uses. Firstly, the most relevant international scientific journals are identified to allow the subsequent selection and quantitative and qualitative analysis of articles directly dealing with wind-powered desalination systems. A total of 2344 articles obtained from the Scopus database were analyzed, of which 144 including 181 case studies were selected. Among the results of this study, an increasing year-on-year trend is observed in the number of published studies tackling wind-powered desalination. Finally, this paper presents a series of maps showing the most relevant facilities, projects, and data in this field, and provides an overview of the lessons learned in the decarbonization of desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In environmentally sensitive areas, especially the arid and semi-arid regions, the greening stability process and its influencing factors can directly affect the sustainable development of the ecological environment. In this study, multi-source remote sensing data such as land use/cover data, MODIS NDVI, and soil moisture, methods such as stability index, vegetation quantitative remote sensing, and Geodetector were employed to analyze the sustainability of the greening process in the Mu Us Sandy in 2000–2020, which were viewed from three aspects: changes in stability of land use types and function, soil moisture change and influencing factors on greening stability. The results showed that, (1) From the stability of land use types, continuous stable ecological land accounted for more than 50%, showing that decreased from northwest toward southeast. (2) From the functional stability, NDVI showed a fluctuated growth (0.035/a), with an increasing distribution pattern from northwest to southeast. Additionally, Vegetation changes were unstable and concentrated in the western part of the study area (OtogBanner and Otog Front Banner), while the eastern part was stable, in which vegetation improvement took the main position. Moreover, mobile dunes almost disappeared, and semi-fixed dunes decreased and gradually shrank to the west of the sandy area, while fixed dunes soared and were concentrated in the middle of the sandy land. (3) From the soil moisture change, soil moisture at different underground depths showed an overall increasing trend, but the deep soil moisture was higher than the shallow, and spatial distribution varied greatly. (4) From the influencing factors, natural factors significantly influence greening stability, among which precipitation had a particularly profound impact, and interactions with other natural and social factors were higher explanatory. The paper aims to explore whether the ecological environment is developing in a good and orderly direction in the Mu Us Sandy Land, and the potential factors that cause its changes, to provide a theoretical basis for scientific governance in the Mu Us Sandy Land and other arid and semi-arid areas in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hydrogeology Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Accurate estimation of surface evapotranspiration (ET) in the Heihe River Basin using remote sensing data is crucial for understanding water dynamics in arid regions. In this paper, by coupling physical constraints and machine learning for hybrid modeling, we develop a hybrid model based on surface conductance optimization. A hybrid modeling algorithm, two physical process-based ET algorithms (Penman–Monteith-based and Priestley–Taylor-based ET algorithms), and three pure machine learning algorithms (Random Forest, Extreme Gradient Boosting, and K Nearest Neighbors) are comparatively analyzed for estimating the ET. The results showed that, in general, the machine learning model optimized by parameters was able to better predict the surface conductance of the hybrid model. Driver analyses showed that radiation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and air temperature had high correlations with ET. The hybrid model had a better prediction performance for ET than the other five models, and it improved the R2 of the two physical process-based algorithms to 0.9, reduced the root mean square error (RMSE) to 0.5 mm/day, reduced the BIAS to 0.2 mm/day, and improved the Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE) to 0.9. The hybrid model outperformed the others across different time scales, displaying lower BIAS, RMSE, and higher KGE. Spatially, its ET patterns aligned with regional vegetation changes, with superior accuracy in annual ET estimation compared to the other models. Comparison with other ET products shows that the estimation results based on the hybrid model have better performance. This approach not only improves the accuracy of ET estimation but also improves the understanding of the physical mechanism of ET estimation by pure machine learning models. This study can provide important support for understanding ET and hydrological processes under different climatic and biotic vegetation in other arid and semi-arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pixo: Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade is the property of Pixo Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The combination of seasonal shutdowns, water conveyance, cold, and drought can easily lead to the deterioration of the anti-seepage system and loess foundation of the canal, which contributes to the destruction of the slope. To reveal the failure mechanism of the collapsible loess canal slope, this paper is based on the results of laboratory tests and adopts numerical simulations to analyze the stability of the canal slope under different conditions. The results show that the shear strength indexes and elastic modulus E of loess decrease following an exponential pattern with the increase in wetting-drying and freezing-thawing (WD-FT) cycles. The height of the seepage overflow point yields little effect on the water level behind the impermeable membrane, whereas the height of the water level has a significant effect. In the operation period, the slope under any working conditions is in a relatively stable state. However, the slope with a water level of 4.5 m behind the impermeable membrane tends to be unstable after three WD-FT cycles during the shutdown period. By replacing the surface-degraded loess with sand gravel and picking a depth of 0.9–1.2 m, the slope will maintain a long-term stable state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of ancient irrigation is crucial in the archaeological research of arid regions. It covers a wide range of topics, with the Near East being the focus for decades. However, political instability and limited data have posed challenges to these studies. The primary objective is to establish a standardised method applicable to different arid environments using the Google Earth Engine platform, considering local relief of terrain and seasonal differences in vegetation. This study integrates multispectral data from LANDSAT 5, Sentinel-2, SAR imagery from Sentinel 1, and TanDEM-X (12 m and 30 m) DSMs. Using these datasets, calculations of selected vegetation indices such as the SMTVI and NDVSI, spectral decomposition methods such as TCT and PCA, and topography-based methods such as the MSRM contribute to a comprehensive understanding of landscape irrigation. This paper investigates the influence of modern environmental conditions on the visibility of features like levees and palaeo-channels by testing different methods and parameters. This study aims to identify the most effective approach for each case study and explore the possibility of applying a consistent method across all areas. Optimal results are achieved by combining several methods, adjusting seasonal parameters, and conducting a comparative analysis of visible features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing stormwater drainage systems considering deep uncertainty is a task that has no correct solution, rather, it can only be addressed by managing the system in a smart, robust way. Over recent decades, robust decision-making has been promoted as a solution to planning systems that are vulnerable to deep uncertainty. In this paper, we adopt a robust decision-making methodology to propose a stormwater drainage system in a coastal catchment in an arid region which is vulnerable to sea-level rise and increased precipitation intensity. We used bias-corrected precipitation and sea-level rise projections from a regional climate model, in addition to analyzing observed data. The decision-making methodology adopted is the Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways (DAPP). It involves building a decision tree with probable actions to consider when the stormwater system is expected to fail. The success of DAPP relies on continuous and extensive monitoring of the system and all components/factors that form risk or add to the vulnerability of the system, in addition to extensive simulations of the pre-identified actions that enable quick implementation of the solutions preceding failure of the system. This gives an early warning and aids the proactive execution of actions, hence making the system resilient to deep uncertainty. The DAPP for the study site is presented, and the advantages of relying on robust decision-making for arid regions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioclimatic architecture is a sustainable design approach that aims to create buildings that put local climate characteristics into consideration and utilize the natural environment to achieve thermal comfort and reduce energy consumption. Among the various strategies used in bioclimatic architecture, natural ventilation stands out as a cost-effective and eco-friendly method that allows for the flow of air through buildings to provide cooling and improve indoor air quality without relying on mechanical systems. With the growing concerns surrounding climate change and sustainable development, the use of natural ventilation techniques is becoming increasingly vital in buildings design. This paper investigates the importance of natural ventilation as one of the bioclimatic architecture strategies for sustainable building design in hot-arid regions characterized by extreme weather conditions, by providing an overview of the various natural ventilation strategies, including singlesided, double-sided, wind-induced, and stack ventilation and identifies the key factors affecting air movement to enhance thermal comfort and indoor air quality inside spaces. The research findings reveal a set of design guidelines that can be implemented to optimize natural ventilation in hot-arid regions. These guidelines cover building orientation, form, vegetation, and the design of openings and natural ventilation strategies that are most suitable for this climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) is the main measure used in Australia for estimating fire risk. Recent work by the authors showed that the FFDI forms stable state regimes, nominated as fire climate regimes. These regimes shifted to greater intensity in southern and eastern Australia around the year 2000 and, a decade later, further north. Reductions in atmospheric moisture were the primary contributor. These changes have not been fully incorporated into future projections. This paper compares the recent regime shifts with the most recent national projections of FFDI, published in 2015. They show that for most states and regions, the 2030 upper limit is approached or exceeded by the recent shift, except for two states with large arid zones, South Australia and Western Australia. Methods for attributing past changes, constructing projections, and the inability of climate models to reproduce the recent decreases in atmospheric moisture, all contribute to these underestimates. To address these shortcomings, we make some suggestions to modify efforts aiming to develop seamless predictions and projections of future fire risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open water transposition channels in hot and arid regions, like those in the São Francisco River Integration Project (PISF) in Brazil, suffer significant water losses through evaporation. This paper proposes covering these channels with photovoltaic (PV) panels to reduce evaporation while simultaneously generating clean energy. The research aims to quantify water savings and energy generation potential across all channel lengths and assess whether the generated solar power can substitute grid electricity for powering the transposition pumps during peak hours, thereby enhancing energy efficiency. This study analyzed the state-of-the-art of PV generation and calculated their solar potential. Identified the specific characteristics of PISF channels and watercourses considering the regional geography, meteorology, irradiation, and social peculiarities. And, finally, assessed the feasibility of covering the watercourses with solar panels. The results reveal that covering all current PISF channels with PV panels could save up to 25,000 cubic meters of water per day, significantly contributing to water security and improving the quality of life for the local population. Additionally, the project could generate 1200 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, meeting the energy demands of the transposition pumps during peak hours and promoting energy efficiency within the project. This research paves the way for utilizing PV technology to address water scarcity challenges and enhance the sustainability of water infrastructure projects in arid regions worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to quantify meteorological–hydrological drought propagations and examine the potential impacts by climatic variability, LULC change (LULC), and human regulations. An integrated observation-modeling framework quantifies drought propagation intervals and assesses mechanisms influencing hydrological droughts. Meteorological droughts are characterized using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), and hydrological droughts are assessed through the Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI) across diverse climatic zones. Cross-correlation analysis between SPEI and SSI time series identifies the lag time associated with the highest correlation as the drought propagation interval. Mechanisms are investigated via a coupled empirical-process modeling framework incorporating the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Discrepancies between simulated and observed SSI time series help quantify the extent of human regulation impacts on hydrological drought characteristics and propagation. The Yellow River Basin (YRB), divided into six subzones based on climate characteristics, is selected as the case study. Key findings include: (1) Meteorological droughts were extremely severe across most YRB during the 1990s, while the 2000s showed some mitigation primarily due to precipitation increases. (2) Hydrological droughts and propagation times from meteorology to hydrology demonstrated substantial spatiotemporal variability. In general, summer propagation times were shorter than other seasons. (3) Propagation times were shorter in arid regions with cropland or built-up land cover versus grassland and woodland, while the reverse held for humid regions. (4) Human regulations prolonged propagation times, likely due to reservoir regulations designed to overcome water deficits. While the YRB is the focus of this paper, the methodologies and findings are applicable to other regions worldwide to enhance drought forecasting and water resource management. In various hydrological and climatic contexts worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This work aims to analyze flocks' management practices and sheep breeders' perceptions of the impact of climate change to enhance the resilience of the sheep production systems in the Tunisian semi-arid region. The results revealed three main sheep production systems: the agro-pastoral rain-fed system (AGPRF), the agro-pastoral irrigated system (AGPI), and the agro-sylvo-pastoral system (AGSP). Each production system is characterized by specific management and productive parameters that are used by farmers to build resilience actions. However, farmers' climate change perceptions are mostly the same across the three sheep production systems: a decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperatures and extreme events, which negatively influence feedstuff availability and costs. Global climate change inflicts unambiguous risks on agricultural systems and food security. Small ruminants are known for their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. This paper aims to characterize sheep production systems in a vulnerable agricultural zone and the breeders' perceptions of climate change to apprehend challenges that they are confronting, and formulate resilience actions. The data analysis is based on 94 semi-structured surveys of sheep farmers carried out in the Tunisian semi-arid region. The PCA analysis results revealed three main sheep production systems. The agro-pastoral rain-fed system (AGPRF) is dominant (55%), with large farms and common pastures integrating cereals and fodder. The agro-pastoral irrigated system (AGPI: 20%) is characterized by small-area and forage irrigation (1.8 ha) and a smaller number of ewes but a greater use of animal feed supplementation. The agro-sylvo-pastoral system (AGSP: 25%) is a system where grazing is based on common lands and using tree sub-products, while the agricultural area is exclusively used to cultivate cereal crops. Sheep breeders' climate perceptions are summarized as unpredictable climate events, a decrease in precipitation, and an increase in temperature. Resilience actions principally consist of reducing flocks' numbers, using alternative local feed, fodder, and water resources, and building more shelters and planting more trees in the grazing areas. Nevertheless, cost-effectiveness should be considered in such vulnerable zones to insure the sheep production systems' sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods destroy crop production; nevertheless, the extent of their impact on farmers' livelihoods in developing countries has been poorly investigated. This paper contributes to the growing evidence-based assessment of the impacts of shocks on communities. It assessed the post-disaster livelihood of farmers affected by the 2012 flooding in the semi-arid zone of Benin. To this end, a survey was conducted on 228 farmers in two municipalities of the flood-prone part of the semi-arid zone of Benin (Malanville, Karimama). Information on the well-being of households was collected using semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using income and consumption approaches focusing on poverty and on subjective assessment using happiness approach. Additionally, a probit model was used for a poverty assessment. The survey revealed that flooded farmers were amongst the poorest in the study system. Seven variables determined poverty in this study: household size, location, the percentage of the farm size that was flooded, fishing, the farmer's gender, farm size, and "holding a secondary activity". Regarding happiness, 99% of the flooded farmers were unhappier after the flood in 2012. The results clearly show that being subjected to floods increases the incidence of poverty. The capacity of flood risk management and governance should be strengthened in the study system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigation activities are important for sustaining food production and account for 70 % of total global water withdrawals. In addition, due to increased evapotranspiration (ET) and changes in the leaf area index (LAI), these activities have an impact on hydrology and climate. In this paper, we present a new irrigation scheme within the land surface model ORCHIDEE (ORganising Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic EcosystEms)). It restrains actual irrigation according to available freshwater by including a simple environmental limit and using allocation rules that depend on local infrastructure. We perform a simple sensitivity analysis and parameter tuning to set the parameter values and match the observed irrigation amounts against reported values, assuming uniform parameter values over land. Our scheme matches irrigation withdrawals amounts at global scale, but we identify some areas in India, China, and the USA (some of the most intensively irrigated regions worldwide), where irrigation is underestimated. In all irrigated areas, the scheme reduces the negative bias of ET. It also exacerbates the positive bias of the leaf area index (LAI), except for the very intensively irrigated areas, where irrigation reduces a negative LAI bias. The increase in the ET decreases river discharge values, in some cases significantly, although this does not necessarily lead to a better representation of discharge dynamics. Irrigation, however, does not have a large impact on the simulated total water storage anomalies (TWSAs) and its trends. This may be partly explained by the absence of nonrenewable groundwater use, and its inclusion could increase irrigation estimates in arid and semiarid regions by increasing the supply. Correlation of irrigation biases with landscape descriptors suggests that the inclusion of irrigated rice and dam management could improve the irrigation estimates as well. Regardless of this complexity, our results show that the new irrigation scheme helps simulate acceptable land surface conditions and fluxes in irrigated areas, which is important to explore the joint evolution of climate, water resources, and irrigation activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ebinur Lake Basin is an ecologically sensitive area in an arid region. Investigating its land use and land cover (LULC) change and assessing and predicting its ecosystem service value (ESV) are of great importance for the stability of the basin's socioeconomic development and sustainable development of its ecological environment. Based on LULC data from 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020, we assessed the ESV of the Ebinur Lake Basin and coupled the grey multi-objective optimization model with the patch generation land use simulation model to predict ESV changes in 2035 under four scenarios: business-as-usual (BAU) development, rapid economic development (RED), ecological protection (ELP), and ecological–economic balance (EEB). The results show that from 1990 to 2020, the basin was dominated by grassland (51.23%) and unused land (27.6%), with a continuous decrease in unused land and an increase in cultivated land. In thirty years, the total ESV of the study area increased from 18.62 billion to 67.28 billion yuan, with regulation and support services being the dominant functions. By 2035, cultivated land increased while unused land decreased in all four scenarios compared with that in 2020. The total ESV in 2035 under the BAU, RED, ELP, and EEB scenarios was 68.83 billion, 64.47 billion, 67.99 billion, and 66.79 billion yuan, respectively. In the RED and EEB scenarios, ESV decreased by 2.81 billion and 0.49 billion yuan, respectively. In the BAU scenario, provisioning and regulation services increased by 6.05% and 2.93%, respectively. The ELP scenario, focusing on ecological and environmental protection, saw an increase in ESV for all services. This paper can assist policymakers in optimizing land use allocation and provide scientific support for the formulation of land use strategies and sustainable ecological and environmental development in the inland river basins of arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snowmelt floods are highly hazardous meteorological disasters that can potentially threaten human lives and property. Hence, snowmelt susceptibility mapping (SSM) plays an important role in flood prevention systems and aids emergency responders and flood risk managers. In this paper, a method of identifying snowmelt flood hazards is proposed, and a large‐scale snowmelt flood hazard zonation scheme based on historical recordings and multisource remote sensing data is established. To assess the quality of our approach, the proposed model was tested in the cold and arid region of Xinjiang, China. Overall, 140 historical snowmelt flood events and 27 explanatory factors were selected to construct a geospatial dataset for SSM of the contemporary period. GridSearchCV was used to comprehensively search the candidate parameters from the grid of given parameters obtained with the random forest (RF) algorithm. Then, the geospatial dataset was divided into two subsets: 70% for training and 30% for testing. Next, SSM results were obtained with the RF algorithm using optimized parameters. The results indicate that our optimized RF classifier performs well for the task of SSM, with a high AUC value (0.975) for the test dataset. The validation and analysis suggest that the proposed method can efficiently identify snowmelt flood hazards in undersampled arid areas at a regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tecoma stans is a widely distributed tall ornamental shrub in the plains of Indian subcontinent and is considered an invasive species across Argentina, Australia, South Africa, Pacific Islands and tropical regions of Asia. Besides having an ornamental significance, T. stans has been extensively investigated for its pharmaceutical applications as a source of bioactive compounds. In addition, the shrub is cultivated commercially as a potted flowering plant. We believe that T. stans, being a hardy, invasive and aggressively growing species, holds a considerable potential and a promising solution for re-greening waste and degraded lands outside its invasive range, due to its wider adaptability and drought tolerant characteristics. The shrub is an excellent source of pollen and nectar, that attracts diverse insect-pollinators and several species of birds. The prudent plantation of this shrub has the potential to restore the ecology of barren landscapes, that can change its perspective of 'being invasive' to 'being ecologically healthy' across the tropical, semi-arid and subtropical regions worldwide. This paper reviews the current updates on ecology, life cycle including morphology, plant growth characteristics, flowering phenology, reproductive biology, breeding system and fruiting of T. stans. In addition, details on insect-pollinator diversity and natural regeneration potential have also been discussed, besides highlighting its therapeutic and landscape use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jenny Davis was among the first small, but significant tranche of women field biologists in the Pacific Region. She was born in Tasmania and developed a fascination with freshwater systems at an early age. Despite the paucity of female role models, freshwater ecology evolved into her research career track at the University of Tasmania where she completed her Honours degree (Zoology; 1976) and PhD (Freshwater Ecology; 1981). Jenny started her first academic position as a Tutor at Murdoch University in 1985. She successfully moved through the academic hierarchy where women continue to be under-represented in the senior ranks. She recently (2021) retired from her administrative and teaching responsibilities at Charles Darwin University (CDU) and approaching 70, is currently a Professor of Freshwater Ecology at CDU. An over-arching theme of her research is to understand the factors influencing the persistence of groundwater and surface water ecosystems. She has worked on the impacts of multiple stressors on springs, wetlands and arid zone waterbodies. She serves as a compelling role model for young scientists struggling to have a satisfying work-life balance. Jenny single-parented a son while conducting field work, teaching, publishing, serving as an academic administrator and being a prolific and successful grant writer. Jenny was also an exceptional mentor to a diverse group of students and post-docs, many of whom have thriving careers in academia, government and industry across Australia. This paper is a biography of a woman who with talent and persistence successfully broke gender barriers in Australian freshwater ecology and academia. Jenny Davis was among the first small, but significant tranche of female field biologists in the Pacific Region. Jenny is one of the few women to be promoted to the academic rank of Professor in Australian sciences. Her current research involves answering two questions: (1) how much water does the environment need; and (2) how important are isolated aquatic waterbodies for the conservation of Australia's freshwater biota? This paper is a brief biography of Jenny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of agricultural development in arid and semi-arid areas, the carbon fixation capacity of vegetation can be affected to different degrees, but research on its driving factors is lacking. Consequently, this paper focuses on the Weiku Oasis in Xinjiang as its research area, in which the carbon fixation capacity of vegetation is estimated with the chemical equation of a photochemical reaction, using methods such as linear system models and Geodetector to analyze the relationship between cropland expansion characteristics and the carbon fixation capacity of vegetation from 1990 to 2020. The influence of land-use changes on the space differentiation of carbon fixation was elucidated through a time series relationship, and the synergistic effects of nine influencing factors on the carbon fixation capacity during the process of vegetation changes were discussed. The results were as follows: (1) In the process of agricultural development, the proportions of cultivated land area and spatial agglomeration had significant negative correlations with carbon sequestration, and the significance was rising, but the effect of cultivated land area proportion was more significant. (2) Through temporal sequential cooperativity analysis, when other land-use types were converted into cultivated land, the carbon fixation capacity of vegetation suddenly and significantly decreased in the initial year of the transformation, but the effect of cultivated land reclamation on the carbon fixation capacity of vegetation did not have a significant time lag. Moreover, after a certain period of time, cultivated land can gradually recover part of its lost carbon fixation capacity. (3) Among the nine driving factors, potential evapotranspiration is the most prominent in explaining the carbon fixation capacity of vegetation. This single-factor pairwise interaction presents the relationship between bivariate enhancement and nonlinear enhancement. When terrain factors interact with other factors, the enhancement effect of the influence on the carbon fixation capacity of vegetation has an obvious promotion effect. However, the change in the carbon fixation capacity of vegetation is more significantly influenced by potential evapotranspiration and the interaction between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and other factors. This research is helpful to understanding the basic theories related to the change in the carbon fixation capacity of vegetation during the process of agricultural development in arid and semi-arid areas, as well as providing theoretical reference for ecological environment construction and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the warming and humidification process in the Northwest Arid Zone over the past 30 years, the runoff of a vast majority of rivers has been affected to different degrees. In this paper, the runoff from the Weigan River, a typical inland river in the arid zone of Northwest China, is taken as an example, and seven types of CMIP6 data are selected with the help of a SWAT model to predict the runoff volume of the Weigan River in the next 30 years under climate change. The results show that (1) the SWAT model can simulate the runoff from the Weigan River well and has good applicability in this study area. (2) With an increase in radiative forcing, the temperature, precipitation and runoff in the study area show an increasing trend. (3) Under the four radiative forcing scenarios in 2030 and 2050, the runoff from the Weigan River out of the mountain is predicted to be maintained at 25.68 to 30.89 × 108 m3, which is an increase of 1.35% to 21.91% compared with the current runoff, of which the contribution to the increase in future runoff caused by the changes in temperature and precipitation is 68.71% and 27.24%, respectively. It is important to explore the impact of climate change on the runoff from the Weigan River to understand the impact of climate change on the Northwest Arid Region scientifically and rationally, and to provide a scientific basis for evaluating the risk of climate change and formulating policies to deal with it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global climate has undergone great changes in recent decades, which has a significant impact on the vegetation system, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. Based on a dynamic model, this paper studied the response of vegetation pattern to climate change in Qinghai Lake, a typical semiarid region. The conditions for Turing instability of the equilibrium were obtained by mathematical analysis. The numerical experiments showed the influence of different climitic factors (carbon dioxide concentrations [CO2], temperature and precipitation) on vegetation pattern. The results showed that the robustness of the vegetation system was enhanced as precipitation or [CO2] increased. Furthermore, we presented evolution of vegetation system under different climate scenarios to forecast the future growth of vegetation. We compared the various climate scenarios with representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP8.5). The results revealed that RCP2.6 scenario was a desired climate scenario for Qinghai Lake. Our study also highlighted the measures to avoid desertification by the method of optimal control. We expect that this study will provide theoretical basis for vegetation protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock glaciers are important hydrological reserves in arid and semi-arid regions. Their activity states can indicate the existence of permafrost. To help further explore the development mechanisms of rock glaciers in semi-arid and humid transition regions, this paper provides a detailed rock glacier inventory of the Guokalariju (also known as Goikarla Rigyu) area of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) using a manual visual interpretation of Google Earth Pro remote sensing imagery. We also estimated the water volume equivalent (WVEQ) in the study area for the first time. Approximately 5057 rock glaciers were identified, covering a total area of ∼404.69 km 2. Rock glaciers are unevenly distributed within the three sub-regions from west to east, with 80 % of them concentrated in the central region, where climatic and topographic conditions are most favorable. Under the same ground temperature conditions, increases in precipitation are conducive to rock glaciers forming at lower altitudes. Indeed, the lower limit of rock glaciers' mean altitude decreased eastward with increasing precipitation. Estimates of the water storage capacity of rock glaciers obtained by applying different methods varied considerably, but all showed the potential hydrological value of rock glaciers. The possible water storage in the subsurface ice of rock glacier permafrost was 1.32–3.60 km 3. The ratio between the amount of subsurface ice stored in rock glaciers and surface ice stored in local glaciers falls within the range of 1:2.32 to 1:1.26 , with an average ratio of 1:1.69. In the west region, where the climate is the driest, the water storage capacity of rock glaciers was estimated to be up to twice as large as that of the sub-region's glaciers. Changes in water resources and permafrost stability in the area where rock glaciers occur will have implications for regional water resource management, disaster prevention, and sustainable development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is a critical input to agricultural production in arid regions. Understanding irrigator perspectives and determining their information and technical needs are critical to increasing water conservation while maintaining profitable yields. This paper summarizes survey data for 140 irrigators operating in the High Plains Aquifer portion of southcentral Kansas. We document adoption of different farm management practices, key challenges facing irrigators, information gaps, and qualitative information obtained from openended questions. Survey response patterns are discussed in the context of local water use conflicts and water governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rodents are one of the most abundant and diverse groups of mammals in arid zones. Their population and community dynamics are closely linked to climatic factors and pulses of primary productivity activation. In the future, climatic conditions in arid ecosystems could become more extreme as a consequence of climate change, which could affect the species that inhabit these regions. In this paper, we review the literature on the ecological response of rodents in the world's arid zones, at the population and community levels, to climatological factors (temperature and precipitation), climatic events and the possible impact of climate change. We used the PRISMA protocol to systematically search the literature, and the “vote‐counting” method to count positive, null or negative responses of the rodents. At the population level, rodent density and abundance responded positively to precipitation, while biomass responded negatively and reproduction responded positively to increasing temperature. At the community level, rodent density, biomass and diversity increased after rainfall. El Niño events were positively related to rodent population increases. In contrast, intense storms affected the survival of some species. Rodents with physiological adaptations suited to living in arid areas, for example, the heteromyids, responded positively to precipitation and could suffer fewer negative ecological consequences in the future when exposed to increased temperature and changes in precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes spatial and temporal changes of aridity in Argentina (1961–2022). The aridity degree, using Climatic Research Unit (CRU) monthly data, was defined through six climate types classified by De Martonne Aridity Index (DMI). Argentina presents a very arid, arid and semiarid region that extends from Puna to Patagonia, alongside two humid and very humid regions: one located in the Chaco-Pampas Plains and Mesopotamia, and another in the Patagonian Andes. Between these regions, there are subhumid areas with marked aridity variations. These structures persist over time, but advances or setbacks were observed in their bordering areas, with significant changes in the Andes (leading to more arid conditions) and the southwestern Pampas Plains (leading to more humid conditions) during the historical period. The contribution of temperature and precipitation changes to these DMI changes was quantified, indicating that precipitation modulated the DMI spatial changes, while temperature intensified or weakened the change magnitudes. The extension variations of the arid and semiarid regions in Argentina were related to three climate variability modes (El Niño – Southern Oscillation [ENSO], Pacific Decadal Oscillation [PDO] and South Atlantic Ocean Dipole [SAOD]). Significant correlations were found with PDO (r < 0) and SAOD (r > 0), which indicate that an increase in the area occupied by arid and semiarid climates are associated with PDO negative phase or SAOD positive phase. Moreover, when these phases occur simultaneously, the expansion of arid and semiarid regions is larger than under the action of an individual forcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-cover classification based on remote sensing technology has been adopted for decision-making concerning agricultural development, urban planning, and ecosystem protection in arid oasis zones. The semantic segmentation method based on deep learning, as a new paradigm, can effectively overcome the limitations of traditional pixel-based and object-based methods and obtain good classification results from high spatial resolution (HSR) remote sensing images. However, how to extract the exact category boundary and realize the high precision mapping is still a problem. This paper proposes a novel high-resolution feature pyramid attention network (HRFPANet) for land-cover classification. It effectively integrates the advantages of multi-scale feature extraction, attention mechanism, and feature fusion and alleviates boundary inconsistency, roughness, and category fragmentation associated with previous semantic segmentation models. The experimental results show that the mIoU score of HRFPANet is 79.5%, which is 11.5% and 2.6% higher than that of PSPNet and UPerNet, respectively. It proves the proposed model can be used for qualified land-cover mapping in arid oasis zones. Our source code is available at . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land in the South Tasikmalaya Regency is dominated by dry land with a steep and hilly land contour. In addition, the area has a shallow soil solum, so it has a high potential for erosion and landslides. Therefore, it is necessary to innovate an integrated cultivation system that is economically feasible, but still maintains environmental sustainability. In this research, the aim is to formulate a model for the development of integrated plantation polyculture farming (IPPF) for the welfare of farmers. The method in this study uses a mixed method design. The location of the research carried out is in the Tasikmalaya Regency. The data used are the results of interviews and questionnaires to 250 IPPF farmers. The data used were obtained by multistage cluster random sampling. The sustainable IPPF development model was analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). This analysis is used to determine the various potential capital factors for agricultural development on the sustainable development of the IPPF and farmers' welfare. The results of the study show that the potential development capital [natural resources (SDA) capital, economic capital, socio-cultural capital, physical capital, and multifunctional IPPF], jointly or partially affect the IPPF sustainability. Human resource capital has no effect on the sustainable IPPF development, while the sustainable IPPF development affects the farmers' welfare levels, and the potential agricultural development capital and its multifunctionality affect the sustainable IPPF development and farmers' welfare. The IPPF development model that improves the welfare of farmers is carried out through the development of specific local superior commodities, increasing the added value and cooperation, developing access to credit, regenerating farmers, sustainable assistance and infrastructure improvements. The results of this study are expected to be a reference for the government in improving IPPF sustainability to achieve the welfare of its farmers. Apart from that, the model that has been developed can make a contribution to science in the form of a comprehensive analysis of the factors that influence the sustainability of IPPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the soil stoichiometric ratios and the influencing factors of different altitude gradients in mountain ecosystems in arid zones is significant in revealing the soil nutrient status and maintaining the sustainable development of mountain ecosystems. In this paper, 13 sample plots were established along the elevation gradient in the mountains of the southern Ili River Valley, and soil in the depth of 0-20 cm was studied to investigate nutrient stoichiometric ratios and their influencing factors. The results showed that: (1) Soil acidity gradually increased with elevation. Organic carbon and total nitrogen contents are significantly higher in the middle and high mountain belts than in the low mountain belts, while total phosphorus and total potassium contents are opposite. (2) Due to altitudinal differences, the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is significantly higher in the mid-alpine belt than in the low and alpine belts; carbon and phosphorus ratios are significantly higher in the middle and high mountain belts than in the middle and low mountain belts; carbon and potassium ratios are significantly higher in the middle and high mountain belts than in the low mountain belts; nitrogen-phosphorus ratios are higher in the alpine zone, but there is no major difference between the transition zone and the low mountain zone; nitrogen-potassium ratios are much higher in the alpine zone, whereas there is no significant difference between the mid-alpine zone and the transition zone; the differences of phosphorus/potassium ratios between altitudinal gradients are ignorable. (3) The dominant factors affecting the stoichiometric ratios of soil physicochemical indicators are soil organic carbon (62.4%), total phosphorus (15.9%), and total carbon (13.7%); while the major environmental factors are mean annual soil temperature (27.1%), vegetation index (11.2%), elevation (12.3%), and mean annual atmospheric temperature (3.4%). The study showed that the physicochemical indicators have an important influence on the soil stoichiometric ratio, further verified that the altitude is still the dominant factor affecting the stoichiometric ratio, and revealed that the influence of microenvironmental factors on the soil stoichiometric ratio should not be neglected, which provides a scientific basis for the in-depth study of the nutrient status of soils in mountainous areas of the Ili River Valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization is one of the most widespread soil degradation processes, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In such climatic conditions, soluble salts accumulate in the soil, leading to deterioration in soil properties and ultimately reduced crop yield. The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between the level of soil salinity and the main spectral indicators obtained from Landsat satellite data. The studied area was the Maisky district, which is located in the southeastern part of the Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan. The variants of the research were agricultural lands using sprinkler irrigation and flood irrigation, as well as sites without irrigation. To analyse the relationships, we used the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), salinity indices (SI) and soil indices such as SI 1, SI 2, SI 3, SI 4, normalized difference salinity index (NDSI), soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), and brightness index (BI). The normalized difference salinity index (R-NIR)/(R + NIR), using a quadratic statistical relationship, showed the best correlation with the laboratory data. The vegetation index NDVI showed the weakest correlation due to dryness or poor crop growth. As a result of the lack of clear control over irrigation and agrotechnical measures, the indicators of cation exchange capacity in irrigated plots using the flooding method were higher than in other irrigation methods. During irrigation, it is necessary to ensure clear rules, according to which the supplied water and fertilizers will have a positive effect on the soil and the entire agroecosystem. The methods used in this research can be useful in mapping and studying saline soils using satellite data in natural and climatic conditions of arid and semi-arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Altay Prefecture, a typical arid region in northwestern China, has experienced the climate transition from warming-drying to warming-wetting since 1980s and has attracted widespread attention. Nonetheless, it is still unclear how climate change has influenced the distribution of vegetation in this region. In this paper, a reaction–diffusion model of the climate–vegetation system is proposed to study the impact of climate change (precipitation, temperature and carbon dioxide concentration) on vegetation patterns in Altay Prefecture. Our results indicate that the tendency of vegetation growth in Altay Prefecture improved gradually from 1985 to 2010. Under the current climate conditions, the increase of precipitation results in the change of vegetation pattern structures, and eventually vegetation coverage tends to be uniform. Moreover, we found that there exists an optimal temperature where the spot vegetation pattern structure remains stable. Furthermore, the increase in carbon dioxide concentration induces vegetation pattern transition. Based on four climate change scenarios of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), we used the power law range (PLR) to predict the optimal scenario for the sustainable development of the vegetation ecosystem in Altay Prefecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands in arid or semiarid zones are vital for maintaining biodiversity but face growing threats. Flooding regime variability is a key driver of ecological dynamism in these systems, dictating primary productivity on a large spatial scale. The functional composition or diversity of wetland-dependent bird species has been found to be sensitive to fluctuations in hydrological regimes and can thus be indicative of cascading ecosystem responses associated with climate change. In this paper, we investigate whether large-scale changes in inundation and fire--a significant additional biodiversity determinant in (semi-)arid landscapes--are reliable predictors of functional group responses of wetland-dependent birds along a perennial channel of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. We fit generalized additive models (GAMs) to 6 years of bird survey data collected along ~190-km-long annual transects and use remotely sensed landscape-level inundation estimates, as well as spatiotemporal distance to fire, to predict the responsiveness of seven trait-based functional group abundances. During the surveys, a total of 89 different wetland-dependent bird species were recorded, including 76 residents, across all years, with below-surface feeding waders consistently the most abundant functional group. Including estimated spatiotemporal variability in flooding and fire, as well as their interactions, improved model fit for all seven functional groups, explaining between 46.8% and 68.3% of variability in functional group abundances. Covariates representing longer-term variability in inundation generally performed better than shorter-term ones. For example, variability in inundation over the 5 months preceding a survey best predicted the responses of all functional groups, which also all exhibited responsiveness to the interaction between flooding and fire. We were able to interpret the responses of individual functional groups, based on the resource exploitation assumption. Overall, our results suggest that perennial waters in dryland wetlands offer functional refugia to wetland-dependent birds and highlight the indicative power of large-scale traitbased bird monitoring. Our findings demonstrate the potential utility of such a monitoring regime for dryland wetland ecosystems vulnerable to industrial-scale anthropogenic pressure and associated climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the linkages of climate change and desertification, sensitivity to desertification, and the combined effects of these environmental hazards on land productivity. The objective of this study is to investigate the multifaceted nature and impact of climate change and desertification in Babura and identify ways to reduce their impact on the environment. This study applied adjusted MEDALUS methodology (Mediterranean desertification and land use) using ten (10) indicators that affected the study area. Remote sensing and GIS were the main techniques used in indices computation and mapping. Erdas imagine 9.2 software was used for the supervised classification to first achieved categorization of image in land use land cover (LULC) thematic features. Shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) data using spatial analyst tool in ArcMap (extension of ArcGis 10.3) was used to extract digital elevation model and generated from it slope gradient. The ten indicators were integrated into ArcMap and each weighted from 1 to 2 using weighted overlay in ArcMap; thus, the higher the weighting the higher the sensitivity to land degradation. The ten indicators were categorized into climate, soil, and vegetation indicators based on most significant available parameters quantified and assessed on their perceived influence on desertification. The reclassification of climatic indicators, particularly the areas of high rainfall against the areas of low rainfall, assumed higher weighting indicating higher sensitivity to land degradation. Approximately 48.72% of the study area, with Babura being particularly critical, is highly sensitive to desertification, while most of the study area (676.79–5950.44 m2) consists of areas with very low erosion protection quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of natural lands to agricultural uses is a significant threat to soil biodiversity. Within agriculture, monoculture based systems are the most common which often result in low biodiversity because they impact the abundance, diversity, and composition of soil macrofauna (SMF). The objective of this paper was to analyze SMF abundance and diversity across different agroforestry practices (AFP) in the drylands of southern Ethiopia. The soil monolith and soil samples were collected from homegarden, cropland, woodlot, and trees on soil and water conservation based AFP using the standard Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute manual, and the identification was done based on morphological characteristics and standard identification keys. The abundance, occurrence, and community composition of SMF were significantly different across the different AFPs (P < 0.05). In this study, 378 SMF belonging to 13 families, including unnamed were identified. The soil ecosystem of AFP was dominated by earthworms (relative abundance = 0.43), followed by termites (relative abundance = 0.12). The homegarden AFP type had a significantly higher number of SMF occurrence index of 46.03 (174), followed by woodlot, 26.72 (101) practices, and the lowest was recorded under cropland, 12.70 (48). The abundance, diversity, richness, and similarity of SMF were significantly related to soil total nitrogen and organic carbon. Phosphorus and pH were significantly related to the abundance and richness of SMF. The homegarden and woodlot AFP types were suitable for SMF biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the quest for a sustainable farming system around the world, organic farming has emerged as the most promising alternative system that can offer solutions to the growing sustainability issues associated with the current input-intensive agriculture system. Organic farming is also becoming increasingly important due to a significant rise in the demand for organic food across the world. Realizing the importance of organic agriculture in the current Indian agricultural scenario, the Government of India has taken several initiatives to promote organic farming across the country. As a result, there has been a considerable increase in different dimensions of organic farming especially in India over the last decade. However, studies have found that organic farming practices in India are more suited to a few specific regions (such as rain-fed zones, low-productivity areas, hills, and arid zones) as compared to the other parts of the country. In this backdrop, this paper attempts to evaluate the state-wise progress of organic farming in India. To measure the inter-state variation in the performance of organic farming, a composite index has been constructed by taking into account four different performance dimensions viz. area covered under organic cultivation, volume of organic production, volume of organic export, and number of producers practicing organic farming. The result suggests a wide disparity in performances in respect of organic farming among the states in India. Interestingly, the states that have performed well in organic farming are found to have a higher level of organic carbon stock in their soil. This shows the influence of agroclimatic conditions on the organic cultivation practices as popularly postulated in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with the challenges posed by the need for fertilizers to maintain agricultural production, a biological process of atmospheric nitrogen fixation occurs naturally, which is carried out by a group of symbiotic bacteria that form a very close association with plants of the legume group, among which is the sweet clover (Melilotus spp.). From an ecological point of view, this plant has an essential function due to its good ability to associate with native nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the genus Sinorhizobium. A fundamental aspect is that this plant species can grow normally in alkaline soils, which doubles its importance since, on the one hand, it fixes nitrogen, and on the other hand, it can be incorporated as green manure. With this, the physicochemical properties of the soil are improved, and the levels of organic matter, which is in extremely poor condition in arid zone areas, are increased. Additionally, this species can withstand low temperatures and grow satisfactorily in winter. This paper presents a synthesis of the genus Melilotus and its symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti and its importance as a potential natural soil improver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Adelaide-born pharmacist, Oswald B. Lower, is a neglected figure in the pantheon of early Australian amateur entomologists. Specialising in Lepidoptera, he worked mainly around Adelaide and Broken Hill where he discovered hundreds of new species, especially in the semi-arid zone of southern Australia. Lower named almost 1000 valid new species between 1892 and 1923 based upon his own material and specimens sourced from contacts in other parts of Australia. His legacy of 40 000 specimens, assembled between the 1880s and early 1920s, forms the nucleus of the outstanding Lepidoptera collection at the South Australian Museum. Many are sourced from locations now lost or degraded and the collection will be an invaluable tool in the emerging challenge of habitat restoration in Australia. Insects are a major component of Australia's biodiversity. The early discovery and description of this fauna was largely contributed by talented entomologists. From the late 1880s, Broken Hill pharmacist Oswald Bertram Lower revealed the extraordinary moth fauna of the mallee and arid zone especially. A summary and context for his pioneering work is now available here. The ecological restoration of these habitats will increasingly draw on Lower's historical collection and insights. HR22015_TOC.jpg [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to study the physio‐chemical parameters of Wadi Feiran groundwater and classify it for use for drinking and irrigation. Twenty water samples collected from the WF have revealed a number of physio‐chemical parameters such as pH, TDS, SAR, EC, ions (Na+, Mg+2, Ca+2, K+, Cl−, SO4−2, NO3−, and HCO3−), and trace elements (U, Pb, Cd, Zr, and Fe). The study clarified that the major ion parameters are within the permissible limits according to WHO 2018, except for Ca+2, Cl−, SO4−2, and NO3−, but trace elements have high concentrations, except for Zn. To recognize the association between groundwater quality parameters and their collective impact on whole groundwater quality, correlation coefficient, factor, and cluster multivariate statistical analyses were carried out and confirmed with the constructed LU/LC map. These revealed that the increase of TDS, EC, Cl, SO4, Na, Mg, and NO3 is attributed to rainfall, leakage of municipal sewage Nile water, and human actions. GIS approaches were used to create thematic layers from groundwater physio‐chemical parameters, which were then weighted and combined to produce a groundwater quality model. This model was classified into potable, marginal, and un‐potable water. Potable and marginal water can be used for drinking and irrigation, but un‐potable water can only be used for irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low production of domestic soybeans is due to the decreasing amount of productive land, so the cultivation of soybeans can be done by utilizing dry land. One type of dryland soil is grumusol soil, which is a less fertile soil and requires improvement through and applying biochar and organic fertilizers. Biochar is expected to increase water availability, thereby increasing nutrient absorption. The research was conducted by experiment with a randomized completed block design (RCBD) two-factor treatment. The treatments are biochar (without biochar as control, biochar of coconut shell, rice husk, and Strobilanthes cusia waste) and organic fertilizer (without fertilizer as control, chicken, cow, and goat manure). Each combination treatment, as an experiment unit, was replicated three times. The results showed that the types of biochar and organic fertilizer do not affect the growth and yield of soybeans. The application of types of biochar alone does not affect the soybean yield, but the various organic fertilizers alone can increase the yield of soybeans. Cow organic fertilizer was able to increase the total pods (31.68%), the number of seeds per plant (29.33%), and the stuffed pods (24.11%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) has emerged as a multi-facet, sustainable and effective technique to replenish dwindling groundwater resources. Suitable site selection is an important step in the design phase of MAR process. Conventional methods of site suitability studies using GIS and Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) does not address the aquifer's response to MAR, while limited modelling-based studies have considered the effect of surface hydraulic factors. In this paper, a fresh approach is presented, that utilises decision model, K-mean clustering technique and numerical model to identify optimal sites for MAR interventions. The methodology was applied in a semi-arid region of Lower Betwa River Basin (LBRB), India. Four different parameter combinations were employed that incorporated the impact of surface and subsurface parameters. Multiple model runs were executed using MODFLOW–NWT to assess the groundwater head response to the infiltrated volume of water. The results indicated that under the least head change category (< 0.7 m), the north and south–east regions of the LBRB were the most appropriate sites. The coalition of geomorphology and drainage density along with aquifer properties such as hydraulic conductivity, specific yield and aquifer thickness were found to be the best suited combination for site selection in LBRB, with maximum spatial coverage (16%) under it. It was observed that the choice of parameter combinations affected the range of groundwater head variations and depended upon the site-specific criteria of accepted head change ranges for determining the best suitable parameter combinations for MAR site selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how pastoralists collectively manage resources in contexts of high environmental variability in the drylands of southern Tunisia. The khlata , the practice of pooling herds, allows for livestock owners to manage scarce resources in environments characterized by non-equilibrium dynamics. This institution legitimizes access to a wider range of pasture land thus tracking patchy rainfall distribution, and allows for the sharing of herding labour and so allows for "absence" in pastoral production, thus enabling human mobility. The khlata , recasts conceptualizations of tenure and labour in ways that subvert neoliberal models of production, and adapt to changing political economic conditions. Such collective herding practices can be likened to "high-reliability" management ideas that accommodate the social and networked dimensions of land-use in drylands, where coordination and connectivity through institutions becomes crucial. The theoretical approach includes pastoral perspectives on tenure, where rules are not well defined and membership is fluid, contributing to a different take on conventional common-property debates and neoliberal views on property, and indeed institutions. When pastoral production is framed as a high-reliability system, the objective of maintaining security and at the same time flexibility in land tenure is emphasised: livestock owners make use of a wide range of scale-dependent resources, whether public, private, or common property. Land-use policy should therefore focus not on rules and regulations but how to support institutions that maintain a highly-reliable system within contexts of fuzzy tenure regimes. Land-use policy should therefore focus on coordinating connectivity through collective arrangements by prioritizing the "informal" and adaptive nature of institutions such as the khlata , rather than focusing on their formalization. Overall, the paper shows how the khlata redefines access to land and labour in ways that create additional options for pastoralists to adapt to changing political economic conditions in southern Tunisia. • The collective management of pastoral resources is key in non-equilibrium ecologies, such as drylands. • Collective herding arrangements, like the khlata , create options for pastoralists by redefining access to land. • Collective practices evolve to meet changing conditions by maintaining flexible and secure access to resources, including labour. • Pastoral perspectives contribute to a different take on conventional common-property debates. • Land-use policy should prioritize the "informal" and adaptive nature of pastoral institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]