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Dry Land Asia is the largest arid and semi-arid region in the northern hemisphere that suffers from land desertification. Over the period 1982–2011, there were both overall improvement and regional degeneration in the vegetation NDVI. We analyze future climate changes in these area using two ensemble-average methods from CMIP5 data. Bayesian Model Averaging shows a better capability to represent the future climate and less uncertainty represented by the 22-model ensemble than does the Simple Model Average. From 2006 to 2100, the average growing season temperature value will increase by 2.9 °C, from 14.4 °C to 17.3 °C under three climate scenarios (RCP 26, RCP 45 and RCP 85). We then conduct multiple regression analysis between climate changes compiled from the Climate Research Unit database and vegetation greenness from the GIMMS NDVI3g dataset. There is a general acceleration in the desertification trend under the RCP 85 scenario in middle and northern part of Middle Asia, northwestern China except Xinjiang and the Mongolian Plateau (except the middle part). The RCP 85 scenario shows a more severe desertification trend than does RCP 26. Desertification in dry land Asia, particularly in the regions highlighted in this study, calls for further investigation into climate change impacts and adaptations.

Drylands in East Asia (DEA) are home to more than one billion people with an environment vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic changes. One of the critical needs in the region is to fully understand how dryland ecosystems respond to the changing climate and human activities in order to develop strategies to cope with continued climate change. This book provides state-of-the-art knowledge and information on drylands ecosystem dynamics, changing climate, society, and land use in the region. In addition to the synthesis of the existing research and knowledge of DEA, the book provides a role model for regional ecological assessment. With a wide spectrum of contributions from experts around the globe, the book should be of interest to researchers and students both internationally and in East Asia. Lessons learned from this synthesis effort in DEA should be useful for developing climate adaptation strategies for other similar regions around the globe.

Ecological compensation is an innovative and effective tool to explore the coordinated development of socioeconomic prosperity and ecological protection, especially for a watershed crossing different regions. It converts the externalities of ecosystem services into practical financial incentives for local stakeholders. This empirical study applies a quantitative policy evaluation approach to evaluate the environmental and economic effects of an ecological compensation policy, using the paddy land–to–dry land (PLDL) program implemented in China’s Miyun Reservoir watershed as an example. The study is based on responses to a 2017 questionnaire regarding agricultural production inputs and outputs administered to 269 households in Hebei Province, where the PLDL program has been operational for over 10 yr. The results show that the program has reduced nitrogen usage by 24% on average in 2017 and decreased the total nitrogen emission load by 16.98 tons for the entire case area, which accounts for approximately 18.6% of the total nitrogen load reduction of the Miyun Reservoir basin. However, the upstream households involved in this program have experienced agricultural income losses higher than that allowed for by the current compensation criterion. Therefore, this paper discusses the factors that should be considered in the process of determining ecological compensation criteria. In particular, the paper proposes a differential compensation scheme based on the environmental effect at the individual level to avoid a standard payment for all households irrespective of their different contributions. This differential compensation payment scheme facilitates the fair treatment of environmental contributors and maximizes environmental benefits through an equitable allocation of limited ecological compensation funds. This study serves as a theoretical and practical reference for further improvement of the current ecological compensation policy in China. The study also sheds light on practices for estimating ecological compensation criteria and formulating ecological compensation policies for other regions or countries in the future.

QUESTIONS: Do both current and past (short‐term) farming practices and landscape characteristics have an effect on the diversity of characteristic and rare arable plant communities in organic fields? What is the role of farm management strategies, apart from farm spatial configuration, in determining the diversity components of these species sets? LOCATION: Thirty‐two farms scattered across NE Spain (Catalonia). METHODS: Specialist species of arable fields, belonging to the Secalietalia cerealis Br‐Bl. 1936, were surveyed at the edges of organically managed fields. We assessed the effects of farm management and landscape characteristics at the field and farm scales on α‐, β‐ and γ‐diversity values of these characteristic arable species. Analyses were also conducted on a subset of Secalietalia species that are considered to be rare. Statistical analyses were performed using multimodel inference determined on the basis of all possible models from an a priori set. RESULTS: Field variables, such as years since conversion to organic management, proportion of cereal crops in the rotation and autumn sowing, had a positive effect, whereas growing non‐cereal crops and fertilization had a negative effect on the richness of characteristic species. The field area had a positive effect on the species richness of characteristic and rare arable plants. At the farm level, the proportion of cereal crop fields to the total amount of fields affected both β and γ characteristic diversity. The landscape variables at the farm level only influenced the β‐diversity of rare species. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of management and landscape on arable weed diversity depended on whether the field or the farm is the focus of the analysis. Characteristic and rare arable species were more affected by factors operating at local scales. Characteristic species richness responded positively to sowing cereal crops, autumn sowing and periodic soil disturbances but was negatively affected by slurry fertilization. Thus, policies promoting some of the former practices should favour characteristic arable species and mitigate the decline of the rare arable species.

The parameterization of thermal roughness length z0h plays a key role in land surface modeling. Previous studies have found that the daytime land surface temperature (LST) on dry land (arid and semiarid regions) is commonly underestimated by land surface models (LSMs). This paper presents two improvements of Noah land surface modeling for China's dry‐land areas. The first improvement is the replacement of the model's z0h scheme with a new one. A previous study has validated the revised Noah model at several dry‐land stations, and this study tests the revised model's performance on a regional scale. Both the original Noah and the revised one are driven by the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) forcing data. The comparison between the simulations and the daytime Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer‐ (MODIS‐) Aqua LST products indicates that the original LSM produces a mean bias in the early afternoon (around 1330, local solar time) of about −6 K, and this revision reduces the mean bias by 3 K. Second, the mean bias in early afternoon is further reduced by more than 2 K when a newly developed forcing data set for China (Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ITPCAS) forcing data) is used to drive the revised model. A similar reduction is also found when the original Noah model is driven by the new data set. Finally, the original Noah model, when driven by the new forcing data, performs satisfactorily in reproducing the LST for forest, shrubland and cropland. It may be sensible to select the z0h scheme according to the vegetation type present on the land surface for practical applications of the Noah LSM. Key Points Improved modeling of land surface temperature in dry land of China Use of newly developed forcing data Improved modeling of land surface energy budget

World is facing agrarian as well as nutritional challenges. Agricultural lands with irrigation facilities have been exploited to maximum, and hence we need to focus on dry lands to further increase grain production. Owing to low fertility, utilization of dry lands to produce sufficient quality grains is a big challenge. Millets as climate change compliant crops score highly over other grains like wheat and rice in terms of marginal growing conditions and high nutritional value. These nutri-cereals abode vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, phyto-chemicals and antioxidants that can help to eradicate the plethora of nutritional deficiency diseases. Millets cultivation can keep dry lands productive and ensure future food and nutritional security.

Dryland agriculture requires the efficient utilization of water resources and the implementation of water-conserving technologies. Mulching is a water conservation practice used in arid land areas to preserve soil moisture, control temperature, and minimize soil evaporation rates. Organic mulching minimizes soil deterioration, enhances organic matter, and boosts the soil’s ability to retain water. Mulching can help keep moisture in the root zone, allowing plants to receive water for extended periods. Mulching with composted yard waste led to higher soil nutrient levels, including phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and organic matter when compared to uncovered soil. Under plastic mulch, soluble nutrients such as nitrate (NO 3 − ), ammonium (NH 4 + ), calcium (Ca 2+ ), magnesium (Mg 2+ ), potassium (K + ), and fulvic acid are released as organic matter decomposes, enhancing the soil’s nutrient availability. Mulching has several advantages for dryland agriculture, such as reducing soil water loss, soil erosion, weed growth, water droplet kinetic energy, and competition for nutrients and water with nearby fields. This review article aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of ground mulching in water conservation. This is particularly important in arid regions where agricultural sustainability is at risk due to drought, heat stress, and the inefficient use of limited water resources during the cropping season. Ground mulching is essential for minimizing surface evaporation and hence decreasing water loss. This review research thoroughly examines the advantages of organic and synthetic mulches in crop production, as well as their use in the preservation of soil and water resources.

Labile fraction plays a crucial role in maintaining soil fertility. Until recently, the information on the labile fraction of soil organic matter in dry lands with dry climates of Indonesia is very limited. Therefore, the experiment was conducted to study the changes of a labile fraction of soil organic matter in those drylands. The soil samples were obtained from 4 sub-districts (Kanatang, Haharu, Pandawai, and Matawai La Pawu) of Sumba Timur District. Those sub-districts have different altitudes, i.e. from 25 m – 900 m above sea level (asl). Soil samples were taken at 0-20 cm soil depth. Chemical analysis on soil pH, total N, organic C, and labile fractions analysis (water-soluble fraction, microbial biomass C, particulate organic matter, and microbial biomass N and water-soluble N) was done at The Plant and Soil Analytical Laboratory of ILETRI. The results indicated that altitude affected the availability of total N and organic C in soils. The higher the altitudes, the lower were N concentrations and conversely for the concentration of organic C and C:N ratio. Labile fraction N (water-soluble N and microbial biomass N) was reduced by increasing the altitudes. The ratio of labile fraction/organic C at altitudes >700 m asl was higher. This meant that the concentration of the active carbon pool was higher compared to that at altitudes <700 m asl. The ratio of MBC/SOC, as the indicator for the rate of biological activity, at altitudes >700 m asl was also high. The high value of MBC/SOC showed that the conversion of soil organic matter to microbial C was efficient.

Dry forests are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world, and they are poorly protected. The semiarid region of northeastern Brazil is the largest area in the New World with a predominance of dry forests, although it has been estimated that half of Brazil’s original semiarid vegetation has already been removed. This study assesses the extent of changes in areas covered by native dry forests (Caatinga) over a period of 46 years (1973–2019) in the southern portion of the semiarid region in Brazil’s State of Bahia. The study area encompasses 18 municipalities (counties) with a total area 2,344,733 ha. To map changes in vegetation cover, Landsat satellite images were used for the years 1973, 1987, 2001, and 2019. The area with native vegetation was reduced by 614,100 ha between 1973 and 2019. The area with vegetation declined in all municipalities; however, the intensity of changes in land use varied among the analyzed periods, with 77.1% of the reduction in vegetation cover occurring between 1973 and 1987. In the 1990s, the intensity of cutting of native vegetation decreased, mainly due to a decrease in the area planted to cotton, while natural regeneration increased. Cutting native vegetation resumed in the 2000s while regeneration declined. In 2019, the remaining vegetation was almost completely restricted to hills or mountains and was in fragments composed of a mosaic of vegetation in different stages of regeneration. Areas that still have native vegetation must be preserved, including those that are regenerating from past clearing.