To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Desert climate.
Journal articles on the topic 'Desert climate'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 journal articles for your research on the topic 'Desert climate.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse journal articles on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Port, U., and M. Claussen. "Transitivity of the climate–vegetation system in a warm climate." Climate of the Past 11, no. 11 (November 25, 2015): 1563–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1563-2015.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. To date, the transitivity of the global system has been analysed for late Quaternary (glacial, interglacial, and present-day) climate. Here, we extend this analysis to a warm, almost ice-free climate with a different configuration of continents. We use the Earth system model of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology to analyse the stability of the climate system under early Eocene and pre-industrial conditions. We initialize the simulations by prescribing either dense forests or bare deserts on all continents. Starting with desert continents, an extended desert remains in central Asia in the early Eocene climate. Starting with dense forest coverage, the Asian desert is much smaller, while coastal deserts develop in the Americas which appear to be larger than in the simulations with initially bare continents. These differences can be attributed to differences in the large-scale tropical circulation. With initially forested continents, a stronger dipole in the 200 hPa velocity potential develops than in the simulation with initially bare continents. This difference prevails when vegetation is allowed to adjust to and interact with climate. Further simulations with initial surface conditions that differ in the region of the Asian desert only indicate that local feedback processes are less important in the development of multiple states. In the interglacial, pre-industrial climate, multiple states develop only in the Sahel region. There, local climate–vegetation interaction seems to dominate.
2
Port, U., and M. Claussen. "Stability of the vegetation–atmosphere system in the early Eocene climate." Climate of the Past Discussions 11, no. 3 (May 5, 2015): 1551–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cpd-11-1551-2015.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. We explore the stability of the atmosphere–vegetation system in the warm, almost ice-free early Eocene climate and in the interglacial, pre-industrial climate by analysing the dependence of the system on the initial vegetation cover. The Earth system model of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology is initialised with either dense forests or bare deserts on all continents. Starting with desert continents, an extended desert remains in Central Asia in early Eocene climate. Starting with dense forest coverage, this desert is much smaller because the initially dense vegetation cover enhances water recycling in Central Asia relative to the simulation with initial deserts. With a smaller Asian desert, the Asian monsoon is stronger than in the case with a larger desert. The stronger Asian monsoon shifts the global tropical circulation leading to coastal subtropical deserts in North and South America which are significantly larger than with a large Asian desert. This result indicates a global teleconnection of the vegetation cover in several regions. In present-day climate, a bi-stability of the atmosphere–vegetation system is found for Northern Africa only. A global teleconnection of bi-stabilities in several regions is absent highlighting that the stability of the vegetation–atmosphere system depends on climatic and tectonic boundary conditions.
3
Zhu, Bingqi, and Limin Yang. "Desertification and Related Climate Change in the Alashan Plateau since the Last 40 ka of the Last Glacial Period." Atmosphere 14, no. 2 (February 15, 2023): 384. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos14020384.
Full textAbstract:
Clues of climate change on the Alashan Plateau since the last glacial period (40 ka) are important for revealing the mechanism of desertification of middle-latitude deserts in the Northern Hemisphere (NH). Studies are still rare for the understanding of the specific relationship of climate changes between the Alashan Plateau and the global. Based on a systematic and comparative analysis of the existing research in China and the international academic community, this paper reviews the environmental evolution history of the Alashan Plateau since the last glacial period from the records of paleo-environment and geomorphological characteristics in different deserts of the plateau (e.g., Badanjilin, Tenggeli, and Wulanbuhe). From about 40 ka to the end of the last glacial maximum, the climate on the plateau was wetter than it is today, and to the end of the Pleistocene, the climate was generally dry and the aeolian activities were enhanced. However, the climate was arid during the whole last glacial period in the Wulanbuhe Desert, evidently different from the overall pattern of the plateau. The Tenggeli Desert was characterized by an arid climate in the early Holocene. The most controversial events for the Alashan Plateau are the drought events in the middle Holocene in the Badanjilin Desert. The role and impact of the westerlies and the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) systems on the climate change of the desert and even the whole plateau is a vexed question that brings different views in different periods. There is still a lack of definite evidence representing the events of global environmental change that occurred on the plateau during the discussed period. The distinctive morphology of dune mountains and the distribution of sand dunes are mutually indicative of the direction and energy of wind systems on the plateau. It is suggested that appropriate wind energy is the significant key to the desertification in these middle-latitude deserts on the plateau. From a global-scale review of climate change, the desertification of the modern-scale sandy desert landscapes on the Alashan Plateau is generally related to the global glacial period and the cold and dry climate during the past 40 ka.
4
Liu, Xiaoyu, and Liangjie Xin. "China’s deserts greening and response to climate variability and human activities." PLOS ONE 16, no. 8 (August 30, 2021): e0256462. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256462.
Full textAbstract:
Vegetation, which is a good indicator of the impacts of climate variability and human activities, can reflect desert ecosystem dynamics. To reveal the vegetation variations in China’s deserts, trends in the monthly, seasonal, and annual normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from 2000 to 2017 were measured both temporally and spatially by the Theil-Sen estimator and Mann-Kendall test. Additionally, correlation coefficients and residual analysis were employed to evaluate the correlations between the NDVI and climatic factors and to distinguish the impacts of climate variability and human activities. The results showed that China’s deserts underwent greening. The annual NDVI showed a significant increasing trend at a rate of 0.0018/yr, with values of 0.094 in 2000 and 0.126 in 2017. Significant increasing trends in NDVI were observed in all four seasons. The NDVI were higher in summer and autumn than in spring and winter. Both the monthly NDVI and its trends showed an inverted U-shaped curve during the year. Spatially, the greening trends were mainly distributed on the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut Desert, in the northwestern part of the Taklimakan Desert, and in the Kubuqi Desert. The correlations between the NDVI and climatic factors at the monthly and seasonal scales were stronger than those at the annual scale. Temperature and precipitation had positive effects on NDVI at the monthly and seasonal scales, but only precipitation had a positive effect at the annual scale. Human activities, especially oasis expansion and sand stabilization measures, were two major causes of large increasing areas of desert greening in China indicated by the NDVI.
5
Kerley, GIH, and WG Whitford. "Desert-Dwelling Small Mammals as Granivores - Intercontinental Variations." Australian Journal of Zoology 42, no. 4 (1994): 543. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo9940543.
Full textAbstract:
Deserts are, by definition, environmentally similar, and this has lead to hypotheses of convergence in the properties of desert biotic communities as well as the components of these communities. There is considerable evidence for convergence in some characteristics of desert biota, ranging from plant growth forms to the well-known bipedal, nocturnal rodents. One area that has received considerable attention has been granivory by desert rodents, largely because of the effort focused on the North American desert heteromyids, and also because the process of granivory has far-reaching ramifications for desert plant communities. Specific tests for convergence in the impact of rodents as granivores, by means of bait-removal experiments, however, have shown that the high levels of seed removal by rodents in the North American deserts differs from that of rodents in the South American, Australian and South African deserts, where ants are the most important seed harvesters. The only studies to measure the impact of rodents on desert seed fluxes confirm these patterns, with rodents consuming up to 86% of seed production in North American deserts, but less than 1% of seed production in South African deserts. A review of dietary data for desert rodents confirms these trends, with little evidence for the presence of granivores in deserts besides those of North America. A variety of hypotheses have attempted to explain these variations in desert rodent granivory. These include recent extinctions of granivores, that seed burial, low soil nutrients and/or limiting seed production prevented the radiation of granivorous small mammals, and that particular deserts are too young or too recently colonised by rodents for granivorous rodents to have evolved. However, none of these hypotheses are supported by available evidence. Alternative hypotheses suggesting that climate variability may have precluded the development of specialised granivores need to be tested. In particular, more data are needed to confirm these patterns of granivory, and gain an understanding of the effects of Pleistocene and recent desert climate variability on seed production. An alternative perspective suggests that the presence of the heteromyid rodents may explain the high levels of granivory by small mammals in North American deserts. The variability in granivory by small mammals between deserts suggests that deserts will also differ in terms of anti-granivore adaptations of plants, seed fluxes and the mechanisms whereby small mammals coexist.
6
Sosa, Victoria, Israel Loera, Diego F. Angulo, Marilyn Vásquez-Cruz, and Etelvina Gándara. "Climate change and conservation in a warm North American desert: effect in shrubby plants." PeerJ 7 (March 7, 2019): e6572. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6572.
Full textAbstract:
Background Deserts are biologically rich habitats with a vast array of animals and plants adapted to xeric conditions, and most deserts are among the planet’s last remaining areas of total wilderness. Among North American deserts, the Chihuahuan Desert has the highest levels of diversity and endemism. To understand the effect of future climate change on plants distributed in this arid land and propose effective conservation planning, we focused on five endemic shrubby species that characterize the Chihuahuan Desert and used an integrative approach. Methods Ecological niche-based modeling, spatial genetics and ecological resistance analyses were carried out to identify the effect of global warming on the studied five shrubby species. Key areas that need to be preserved were identified taking into account the existing protected areas within the Chihuahuan Desert. Results The extent of future distribution will vary among these species, and on average expansion will occur in the western part of the Chihuahuan Desert. For most species low environmental resistance to gene flow was predicted, while higher future resistance was predicted for one species that would lead to increased population isolation. The highest haplotype diversity was identified in three hotspots. Based on future suitability of habitat and in the haplotype diversity we suggest preserving two hotspots of genetic diversity in the Sierra Madre Oriental, located in areas without protection. The third hotspot was detected in the well preserved Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Man and Biosphere Reserve. Conclusion Global climate change will have an effect in arid adapted plants, favoring expansion in the western of the Chihuahuan Desert however negatively affecting others with high ecological resistance disrupting gene flow. Two hotspots of genetic diversity in the Sierra Madre Oriental should be protected.
7
Wu, G. X., Y. Liu, X. Zhu, W. Li, R. Ren, A. Duan, and X. Liang. "Multi-scale forcing and the formation of subtropical desert and monsoon." Annales Geophysicae 27, no. 9 (September 29, 2009): 3631–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/angeo-27-3631-2009.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. This study investigates three types of atmospheric forcing across the summertime subtropics that are shown to contribute in various ways to the occurrence of dry and wet climates in the subtropics. To explain the formation of desert over the western parts of continents and monsoon over the eastern parts, we propose a new mechanism of positive feedback between diabatic heating and vorticity generation that occurs via meridional advection of planetary vorticity and temperature. Monsoon and desert are demonstrated to coexist as twin features of multi-scale forcing, as follows. First, continent-scale heating over land and cooling over ocean induce the ascent of air over the eastern parts of continents and western parts of oceans, and descent over eastern parts of oceans and western parts of continents. Second, local-scale sea-breeze forcing along coastal regions enhances air descent over eastern parts of oceans and ascent over eastern parts of continents. This leads to the formation of the well-defined summertime subtropical LOSECOD quadruplet-heating pattern across each continent and adjacent oceans, with long-wave radiative cooling (LO) over eastern parts of oceans, sensible heating (SE) over western parts of continents, condensation heating (CO) over eastern parts of continents, and double dominant heating (D: LO+CO) over western parts of oceans. Such a quadruplet heating pattern corresponds to a dry climate over the western parts of continents and a wet climate over eastern parts. Third, regional-scale orographic-uplift-heating generates poleward ascending flow to the east of orography and equatorward descending flow to the west. The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is located over the eastern Eurasian continent. The TP-forced circulation pattern is in phase with that produced by continental-scale forcing, and the strongest monsoon and largest deserts are formed over the Afro-Eurasian Continent. In contrast, the Rockies and the Andes are located over the western parts of their respective continents, and orography-induced ascent is separated from ascent due to continental-scale forcing. Accordingly, the deserts and monsoon climate over these continents are not as strongly developed as those over the Eurasian Continent. A new mechanism of positive feedback between diabatic heating and vorticity generation, which occurs via meridional transfer of heat and planetary vorticity, is proposed as a means of explaining the formation of subtropical desert and monsoon. Strong low-level longwave radiative cooling over eastern parts of oceans and strong surface sensible heating on western parts of continents generate negative vorticity that is balanced by positive planetary vorticity advection from high latitudes. The equatorward flow generated over eastern parts of oceans produces cold sea-surface temperature and stable stratification, leading in turn to the formation of low stratus clouds and the maintenance of strong in situ longwave radiative cooling. The equatorward flow over western parts of continents carries cold, dry air, thereby enhancing local sensible heating as well as moisture release from the underlying soil. These factors result in a dry desert climate. Over the eastern parts of continents, condensation heating generates positive vorticity in the lower troposphere, which is balanced by negative planetary vorticity advection of the meridional flow from low latitudes. The flow brings warm and moist air, thereby enhancing local convective instability and condensation heating associated with rainfall. These factors produce a wet monsoonal climate. Overall, our results demonstrate that subtropical desert and monsoon coexist as a consequence of multi-scale forcing along the subtropics.
8
Randall, JA. "Convergences and Divergences in Communication and Social-Organization of Desert Rodents." Australian Journal of Zoology 42, no. 4 (1994): 405. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo9940405.
Full textAbstract:
Has behaviour of desert rodents evolved to show convergences in the same way as morphological and physiological traits? To answer this question, I compared social behaviour and communication of rodents from deserts in North America, Africa, Eurasia and Australia, Most desert rodents, except those from Australia, sandbathe and footdrum as primary modes of communication. In contrast, social behaviour in desert rodents has evolved across a wide spectrum of sociality. The most highly evolved social organisation in mammals occurs in two species of eusocial mole-rats from arid deserts in Africa, Asian gerbils live in stable family groups, and jerboas in northern Africa may be socially tolerant. The heteromyid rodents from North America, however, live alone in a social structure maintained by neighbour recognition. These communication convergences and social divergences may be explained by the evolutionary history of the rodents and by contrasts in resources, predation and climate. Mole-rats must cooperate to harvest dispersed underground tubers in arid environments. Varied diets and cold climates possibly selected for group living in the highly social gerbils. The long and successful evolution of heteromyid rodents as solitary granivores may explain why they have not taken the next step in social evolution.
9
Cowan, Don A., S. Craig Cary, Jocelyne DiRuggiero, Frank Eckardt, Belinda Ferrari, David W. Hopkins, Pedro H. Lebre, et al. "‘Follow the Water’: Microbial Water Acquisition in Desert Soils." Microorganisms 11, no. 7 (June 27, 2023): 1670. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11071670.
Full textAbstract:
Water availability is the dominant driver of microbial community structure and function in desert soils. However, these habitats typically only receive very infrequent large-scale water inputs (e.g., from precipitation and/or run-off). In light of recent studies, the paradigm that desert soil microorganisms are largely dormant under xeric conditions is questionable. Gene expression profiling of microbial communities in desert soils suggests that many microbial taxa retain some metabolic functionality, even under severely xeric conditions. It, therefore, follows that other, less obvious sources of water may sustain the microbial cellular and community functionality in desert soil niches. Such sources include a range of precipitation and condensation processes, including rainfall, snow, dew, fog, and nocturnal distillation, all of which may vary quantitatively depending on the location and geomorphological characteristics of the desert ecosystem. Other more obscure sources of bioavailable water may include groundwater-derived water vapour, hydrated minerals, and metabolic hydro-genesis. Here, we explore the possible sources of bioavailable water in the context of microbial survival and function in xeric desert soils. With global climate change projected to have profound effects on both hot and cold deserts, we also explore the potential impacts of climate-induced changes in water availability on soil microbiomes in these extreme environments.
10
Andrade, C., and J. Contente. "Köppen’s climate classification projections for the Iberian Peninsula." Climate Research 81 (August 20, 2020): 71–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/cr01604.
Full textAbstract:
Projections of Köppen-Geiger climate classifications under future climate change for the Iberian Peninsula are investigated using a 7-ensemble mean of regional climate models obtained from EURO-CORDEX. Maps with predicted future scenarios for temperature, precipitation and Köppen-Geiger classification are analyzed for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 in Iberia. Widespread statistically significant shifts in temperature, precipitation and climate regimes are projected in the 2041-2070 period, with greater shifts occurring under RCP8.5. An overall increase in temperature and a decrease in precipitation in the south-southeast is predicted. Of the two climate types, dry (B) and temperate (C), the dominant one was C in 86% of Iberia for 1961-1990, predicted to decrease by 8.0% by 2041-2070 under RCP4.5 (9.5% under RCP8.5). The hot-summer Mediterranean climate (CSa) will progressively replace CSb (warm-summer climate) in the northwestern half of Iberia until 2070. This shift, depicted by the SSIM index, is particularly noticeable in Portugal, with the projected establishment of the CSa climate by 2041-2070. The predicted retreat of humid subtropical (Cfa) and temperate oceanic (Cfb) areas in the northeast towards the Pyrenees region is noteworthy, as is the increase of desert (BW) and semi-desert (BS) climates (7.8 and 9%) in the southeast (between Granada and Valencia). Climate types BSh and BWh (hot semi-desert and hot desert, respectively), non-existent in the 1961-1990 period, are projected to represent 2.8% of the territory in 2041-2070 under RCP4.5 (5% under RCP8.5). The statistically significant projected changes hint at the disappearance of some vegetation species in certain regions of Iberia, with an expected increase in steppe, bush, grassland and wasteland vegetation cover, typical of dry climates in the southeast.
11
Smith, Mike. "How the Desert got a Past: A History of Quaternary Research in Australia’s Deserts." Historical Records of Australian Science 25, no. 2 (2014): 172. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/hr14012.
Full textAbstract:
This paper examines how the past of desert landscapes has been interpreted since European explorers and scientists first encountered them. It charts the research that created the conceptual space within which archaeologists and Quaternarists now work. Studies from the 1840s–1960s created the notion of a ‘Great Australian Arid Period'. The 1960s studies of Lake Mungo and the Willandra Lakes by Jim Bowler revealed the cyclical nature of palaeolakes, that changed with climate changes in the Pleistocene, and the complexity of desert pasts. SLEADS and other researchers in the 1980s used thermoluminescence techniques that showed further complexities in desert lands beyond the Willandra particularly through new studies in the Strzelecki and Simpson Dunefields, Lake Eyre, Lake Woods and Lake Gregory. Australian deserts are varied and have very different histories. Far from ‘timeless lands', they have carried detailed information about long-term climate changes on continental scales.
12
Vasar, Martti, John Davison, Siim-Kaarel Sepp, Maarja Öpik, Mari Moora, Kadri Koorem, Yiming Meng, et al. "Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities in the Soils of Desert Habitats." Microorganisms 9, no. 2 (January 22, 2021): 229. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9020229.
Full textAbstract:
Deserts cover a significant proportion of the Earth’s surface and continue to expand as a consequence of climate change. Mutualistic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are functionally important plant root symbionts, and may be particularly important in drought stressed systems such as deserts. Here we provide a first molecular characterization of the AM fungi occurring in several desert ecosystems worldwide. We sequenced AM fungal DNA from soil samples collected from deserts in six different regions of the globe using the primer pair WANDA-AML2 with Illumina MiSeq. We recorded altogether 50 AM fungal phylotypes. Glomeraceae was the most common family, while Claroideoglomeraceae, Diversisporaceae and Acaulosporaceae were represented with lower frequency and abundance. The most diverse site, with 35 virtual taxa (VT), was in the Israeli Negev desert. Sites representing harsh conditions yielded relatively few reads and low richness estimates, for example, a Saudi Arabian desert site where only three Diversispora VT were recorded. The AM fungal taxa recorded in the desert soils are mostly geographically and ecologically widespread. However, in four sites out of six, communities comprised more desert-affiliated taxa (according to the MaarjAM database) than expected at random. AM fungal VT present in samples were phylogenetically clustered compared with the global taxon pool, suggesting that nonrandom assembly processes, notably habitat filtering, may have shaped desert fungal assemblages.
13
Iknayan, Kelly J., and Steven R. Beissinger. "Collapse of a desert bird community over the past century driven by climate change." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115, no. 34 (August 6, 2018): 8597–602. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1805123115.
Full textAbstract:
Climate change has caused deserts, already defined by climatic extremes, to warm and dry more rapidly than other ecoregions in the contiguous United States over the last 50 years. Desert birds persist near the edge of their physiological limits, and climate change could cause lethal dehydration and hyperthermia, leading to decline or extirpation of some species. We evaluated how desert birds have responded to climate and habitat change by resurveying historic sites throughout the Mojave Desert that were originally surveyed for avian diversity during the early 20th century by Joseph Grinnell and colleagues. We found strong evidence of an avian community in collapse. Sites lost on average 43% of their species, and occupancy probability declined significantly for 39 of 135 breeding birds. The common raven was the only native species to substantially increase across survey sites. Climate change, particularly decline in precipitation, was the most important driver of site-level persistence, while habitat change had a secondary influence. Habitat preference and diet were the two most important species traits associated with occupancy change. The presence of surface water reduced the loss of site-level richness, creating refugia. The collapse of the avian community over the past century may indicate a larger imbalance in the Mojave and provide an early warning of future ecosystem disintegration, given climate models unanimously predict an increasingly dry and hot future.
14
Chase, Brian M., Eva M. Niedermeyer, Arnoud Boom, Andrew S. Carr, Manuel Chevalier, Feng He, Michael E. Meadows, Neil Ogle, and Paula J. Reimer. "Orbital controls on Namib Desert hydroclimate over the past 50,000 years." Geology 47, no. 9 (July 26, 2019): 867–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/g46334.1.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Despite being one of the world’s oldest deserts, and the subject of decades of research, evidence of past climate change in the Namib Desert is extremely limited. As such, there is significant debate regarding the nature and drivers of climate change in the low-latitude drylands of southwestern Africa. Here we present data from stratified accumulations of rock hyrax urine that provide the first continuous high-resolution terrestrial climate record for the Namib Desert spanning the past 50,000 yr. These data, spanning multiple sites, show remarkably coherent variability that is clearly linked to orbital cycles and the evolution and perturbation of global boundary conditions. Contrary to some previous predictions of southwestern African climate change, we show that orbital-scale cycles of hydroclimatic variability in the Namib Desert region are in phase with those of the northern tropics, with increased local summer insolation coinciding with periods of increased aridity. Supported by climate model simulations, our analyses link this to variations in position and intensity of atmospheric pressure cells modulated by hemispheric and land-sea temperature gradients. We conclude that hydroclimatic variability at orbital time scales is driven by the combined influence of direct low-latitude insolation forcing and the influence of remote controls on the South Atlantic anticyclone, with attendant impacts on upwelling and sea-surface temperature variations.
15
Bombi, Pierluigi, Daniele Salvi, Titus Shuuya, Leonardo Vignoli, and Theo Wassenaar. "Climate change effects on desert ecosystems: A case study on the keystone species of the Namib Desert Welwitschia mirabilis." PLOS ONE 16, no. 11 (November 8, 2021): e0259767. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259767.
Full textAbstract:
Deserts have been predicted to be one of the most responsive ecosystems to global climate change. In this study, we examine the spatial and demographic response of a keystone endemic plant of the Namib Desert (Welwitschia mirabilis), for which displacement and reduction of suitable climate has been foreseen under future conditions. The main aim is to assess the association between ongoing climate change and geographical patterns of welwitschia health, reproductive status, and size. We collected data on welwitschia distribution, health condition, reproductive status, and plant size in northern Namibia. We used ecological niche models to predict the expected geographic shift of suitability under climate change scenarios. For each variable, we compared our field measurements with the expected ongoing change in climate suitability. Finally, we tested the presence of simple geographical gradients in the observed patterns. The historically realized thermal niche of welwitschia will be almost completely unavailable in the next 30 years in northern Namibia. Expected reductions of climatic suitability in our study sites were strongly associated with indicators of negative population conditions, namely lower plant health, reduced recruitment and increased adult mortality. Population condition does not follow simple latitudinal or altitudinal gradients. The observed pattern of population traits is consistent with climate change trends and projections. This makes welwitschia a suitable bioindicator (i.e. a ‘sentinel’) for climate change effect in the Namib Desert ecosystems. Our spatially explicit approach, combining suitability modeling with geographic combinations of population conditions measured in the field, could be extensively adopted to identify sentinel species, and detect population responses to climate change in other regions and ecosystems.
16
Yang, Fan, Qing He, Jianping Huang, Ali Mamtimin, Xinghua Yang, Wen Huo, Chenglong Zhou, et al. "Desert Environment and Climate Observation Network over the Taklimakan Desert." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 102, no. 6 (June 2020): E1172—E1191. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/bams-d-20-0236.1.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractAs the second-largest shifting sand desert worldwide, the Taklimakan Desert (TD) represents the typical aeolian landforms in arid regions as an important source of global dust aerosols. It directly affects the ecological environment and human health across East Asia. Thus, establishing a comprehensive environment and climate observation network for field research in the TD region is essential to improve our understanding of the desert meteorology and environment, assess its impact, mitigate potential environmental issues, and promote sustainable development. With a nearly 20-yr effort under the extremely harsh conditions of the TD, the Desert Environment and Climate Observation Network (DECON) has been established completely covering the TD region. The core of DECON is the Tazhong station in the hinterland of the TD. Moreover, the network also includes 4 satellite stations located along the edge of the TD for synergistic observations, and 18 automatic weather stations interspersed between them. Thus, DECON marks a new chapter of environmental and meteorological observation capabilities over the TD, including dust storms, dust emission and transport mechanisms, desert land–atmosphere interactions, desert boundary layer structure, ground calibration for remote sensing monitoring, and desert carbon sinks. In addition, DECON promotes cooperation and communication within the research community in the field of desert environments and climate, which promotes a better understanding of the status and role of desert ecosystems. Finally, DECON is expected to provide the basic support necessary for coordinated environmental and meteorological monitoring and mitigation, joint construction of ecologically friendly communities, and sustainable development of central Asia.
17
Lu, Ying, Boran Zhang, Min Zhang, Meiyu Jie, Siqi Guo, and Yange Wang. "Relict Plants Are Better Able to Adapt to Climate Change: Evidence from Desert Shrub Communities." Plants 12, no. 23 (December 4, 2023): 4065. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants12234065.
Full textAbstract:
Shrubs are the main dominant plants in arid desert systems and play an important role in maintaining the biodiversity, ecosystem services and stability of desert ecosystems. Studies have shown that the survival of a large number of shrub species in desert areas under the influence of climate change is significantly threatened, with different species showing different response strategies. To test the tolerance of different shrub species to climate change, this study selected 10 dominant shrub species (ancient relict shrub species and regional endemic shrub species) in the Alashan desert area as the research object. Based on a field survey of species distribution, a species distribution model was developed to simulate the suitable distribution area of shrub species under current conditions and under future climate change scenarios. The distribution changes of ancient relict and regional endemic shrub species under the climate change scenarios were tested, and the tolerance of the two types of shrub to climate change was analyzed. The results showed that under different climate change scenarios, except for Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, the total suitable area of four out of the five relict plants was relatively stable, the potential distribution area of Tetraena mongolica increased, and the future distribution pattern was basically consistent with the current distribution. However, the suitable area of typical desert plants was unstable under different climate change scenarios. Except for Kalidium foliatum, the suitable distribution areas of four out of the five shrubs showed different degrees of reduction, and the distribution location showed significant migration. Based on the research results, climate change will lead to the reduction and displacement of the distribution area of typical desert shrubs, while relict shrubs will be less affected by climate change. This is because, compared to desert species, relict plants have a longer evolutionary history and have developed a wider range of adaptations after experiencing dramatic environmental changes. This study provides a scientific basis for actively responding to the impacts of climate change on desert ecosystems.
18
Kutty, Najeeba Abdulla, Dua Barakat, Abeer Othman Darsaleh, and Young Ki Kim. "A Systematic Review of Climate Change Implications on Building Energy Consumption: Impacts and Adaptation Measures in Hot Urban Desert Climates." Buildings 14, no. 1 (December 20, 2023): 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010013.
Full textAbstract:
The climate change–built environment nexus is complex and intertwined. Recognizing the rising air temperatures and solar radiations owing to climate-induced global warming, it is critical to manage the increased building energy and cooling loads in the Middle East Gulf states’ hot desert climates (Bwh). One of the top climate priorities is to promote climate resilience by reducing risks and enhancing adaptation options. This study aims to systematically review the existing literature to document building energy performances in and the associated adaptation measures of the Middle East Gulf states, regarding the implications of climate change. It is accomplished by answering the following questions: ‘How well do we understand the effects of climate change on building energy use in hot urban deserts?’ and ‘What are the most appropriate adaptation strategies to reduce energy use in hot urban deserts?’. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis protocols (PRISMA), 17 studies on the influence of present and future weather scenarios on building performance are examined, considering variations in typology, methods, and input variables. Finally, the paper identifies the preferred methods and input variables for modelling building energy performance under predicted climatic changes. Passive design considerations are considered highly effective in mitigating and adapting to climate change implications. Thermal insulation and efficient window glazing are identified as the best-performing strategies, while the use of solar Photovoltaic (PV) is considered efficient in meeting the primary energy demands. The study’s findings can assist planners and designers in projecting future climatic influences on the energy usage of existing buildings.
19
Vefik Alp, Ahmet. "Vernacular climate control in desert architecture." Energy and Buildings 16, no. 3-4 (January 1991): 809–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-7788(91)90076-f.
Full text
20
Wolfe, J. Novalis. "The Poems of Our Desert Climate." Wallace Stevens Journal 48, no. 1 (March 2024): 111. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/wsj.2024.a922177.
Full text
21
Pankova, Ye I., and M. V. Konyushkova. "The effect of global warming on soil salinity in arid regions." Dokuchaev Soil Bulletin, no. 71 (June 30, 2013): 3–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.19047/0136-1694-2013-71-3-15.
Full textAbstract:
The comparison of modern climatic conditions and soil salinity in subboreal deserts of Middle Asia (Turanian plain) and Central Asia (Gobi deserts) shows that climate has an effect on salinity of hydromorphic soils. From the other hand, the distribution and degree of salinity of automorphic desert soils are predominantly governed by the distribution of salt-bearing rocks inherited from the previous geologic stages and are not related directly to the modern aridity. This fact allows us to state that the global warming will not promote salinization of automorphic soils of arid regions, except for the soils subjected to aeolian salinization. Climate aridification will provoke soil salinization in hydromorphic conditions.
22
Lambert, Connor T., Lucas K. Hall, Randy T. Larsen, Robert N. Knight, and Brock R. McMillan. "Temporal partitioning and the effects of climate change on two ecologically similar desert bats." Journal of Mammalogy 99, no. 6 (September 21, 2018): 1486–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyy113.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Climate change is predicted to create increasingly arid deserts with fewer and smaller water sources. Because free water is already limiting for arid-adapted animals, reductions in water likely will impact desert species and how they compete for this limited resource. Our objective was to examine how the size of water sources influenced competition between 2 ecologically similar bats, Parastrellus hesperus and Myotis californicus, in the American Southwest. Bats are a highly successful taxon in deserts, although many rely upon access to free water. We examined bat activity observationally over 35 different-sized water sources throughout the Mojave Desert in southwestern Utah, United States, and experimentally reduced the surface area of 2 water sources. Parastrellus hesperus and M. californicus typically occurred at the same water sources, but both species temporally partitioned their use of shared water sources regardless of the surface area of the water. Experimentally reducing surface area of water sources negatively affected drinking behaviors of both species and resulted in higher overall activity, but temporal partitioning still occurred. While loss of water may influence some competitive interactions, mechanisms such as temporal partitioning can potentially allow continued co-use of limited resources by competing species.
23
Geyh, Mebus A., and Klaus Heine. "Several distinct wet periods since 420 ka in the Namib Desert inferred from U-series dates of speleothems." Quaternary Research 81, no. 2 (March 2014): 381–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2013.10.020.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThe scarcity of numerical dates of the arid areas in southern Africa is a challenge for reconstructing paleoclimate. This paper presents a chronological reconstruction in the central part of the Namib Desert, Namibia, for the last 420,000 yr. It is based on 230Th/U dates (TIMS) from a large stalagmite and a thick flowstone layer in a small cave located in the hyper-arid central Namib Desert. The results provide for the first time evidence of three or possibly four succeeding wet periods of decreasing intensity since 420 ka through which speleothem deposited at approximately 420–385 ka, 230–207 ka and 120–117 ka following the 100-ka Milankovitch cycle. Speleothem growth was not recorded for the Holocene. These wet periods interrupted the predominantly dry climate of the Namib Desert and coincided with wet phases in deserts of the northern hemisphere in the Murzuq Basin, Sahara, the Negev, Israel, the Nafud Desert, Saudi Arabia, and the arid northern Oman, Arabian Peninsula.
24
Sheikh, Mehnaj, and M. M. Sheikh. "CLIMATE CHANGE IN THAR DESERT: A CASE STUDY OF CHURU TOWN, RAJASTHAN, INDIA." Journal of Global Resources 9, no. 01 (January 18, 2023): 56–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.46587/jgr.2023.v09i01.006.
Full textAbstract:
Human induced climate change is the largest most pervasive threat to the natural environment and societies the world has ever experienced. Arid ecosystem is more prone to such phenomenon. Deserts are most typically associated with soaring temperatures, permanently dry air, and endless rolling sand dunes. But in summer in “Thar” desert, it becomes so cold and freeze. The Thar desert climate refers to a specific type of climate that encompasses more than one weather type. But for last one decade its changing in a very different ways, i.e., Too hot in summer and too cold in winter. It is an alarming situation of climate change, where we can understand with this small example. In Churu district of north Rajasthan, where the sandy ground sizzles in the summers and the wind feels like a hot air boiler in the month of June. The temperatures in those months easily climb up to the high 400 Celsius. Just month, May 2020, the temperature rose to 500 Celsius – and was the highest in the world. Two years, when the mercury breached even the 510 Celsius marks in Churu in early June 2019 – more than halfway to the boiling point of water – for many it was a side bar. Six months later, by December-January in some years, Churu has seen just-below zero degrees Celsius temperatures. And in February 2020, the India Meteorological Department found the lowest minimum temperature in the plains of India to be in Churu, at 4.10 Celsius. In view of above the present study has been undertaken to deliberate the climate change impact in small desert town.
25
Tang, Qianhong, Jianmeng Feng, Donglin Zong, Jing Zhou, Xiaokang Hu, Bingru Wang, and Tao Wang. "Potential Spread of Desert Locust Schistocerca gregagia (Orthoptera: Acrididae) under Climate Change Scenarios." Diversity 15, no. 10 (September 27, 2023): 1038. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d15101038.
Full textAbstract:
The desert locust Schistocerca gregagia (Forskål, 1775) is one of the most harmful migratory pests in the world, posing a major threat to agricultural production, livelihoods, and food security. Climate, land use, and topography influence the distribution of desert locusts, but few studies have integrated all the factors on a global scale to explore the suitable areas for desert locusts and the paths through which this species could potentially spread. In this study, we established ensemble distribution models to investigate the distribution patterns and driving factors of desert locusts under baseline and future scenarios; we used ensembled niche dynamic models to evaluate their niche conservation during outbreaks. The results showed that the most important factor influencing desert locust distribution is climate, especially the minimum temperature of the coldest month, the annual precipitation, and the mean temperature of the driest quarter. Some areas with little or no desert locust distribution at present will be suitable for desert locusts in the future, and highly suitable contiguous areas may become the dispersal paths. The results also showed that the climatic niche of the desert locust is still conservative, which might explain why desert locusts tend to retreat after intermittent outbreaks rather than settle at the site of invasion. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the areas that are highly suitable for desert locusts, the key factors driving their outbreaks, and the shifting of their climatic niche in order to prevent desert locusts from settling in invasion areas and affecting local ecosystems and food security.
26
Mahowald, N. M., S. Kloster, S. Engelstaedter, J. K. Moore, S. Mukhopadhyay, J. R. McConnell, S. Albani, et al. "Observed 20th century desert dust variability: impact on climate and biogeochemistry." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 10, no. 5 (May 17, 2010): 12585–628. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-10-12585-2010.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Desert dust perturbs climate by interacting with incoming solar and outgoing long wave radiation, thereby changing precipitation and temperature, in addition to modifying ocean and land biogeochemistry. While we know that desert dust is sensitive to perturbations in climate and human land use, previous studies have been unable to determine whether humans were in the net increasing or decreasing desert dust. Here we present observational estimates of desert dust based on paleodata proxies showing a doubling of desert dust during the 20th century over much, but not all the globe. Large uncertainties remain in estimates of desert dust variability over 20th century due to limited data. Using these observational estimates of desert dust change in combination with ocean, atmosphere and land models, we calculate the net radiative effect of these observed changes (top of atmosphere) over the 20th century to be −0.14±0.11 W/m2 (1990–1999 vs. 1905–1914). The estimated radiative change due to aerosols is especially strong between the dusty 1980–1989 and the less dusty 1955–1964 time periods (−0.57±0.46 W/m2), which model simulations suggest may have reduced the rate of temperature increase between these time periods by 0.11 °C. Model simulations also indicate strong regional shifts in precipitation and temperature from the desert dust changes, causing 6 ppm (12 Pg C) reduction in model carbon uptake by the terrestrial biosphere over the 20th century. Desert dust carries iron, an important micronutrient for ocean biogeochemistry that can modulate ocean carbon storage; here we show that dust deposition trends increase ocean productivity by an estimated 6% over the 20th century, drawing down an additional 4 ppm (8 Pg C) of carbon dioxide into the oceans. Thus, perturbations to desert dust over the 20th century inferred from observations are potentially important for climate and biogeochemistry, and our understanding of these changes and their impacts should continue to be refined.
27
Mahowald, N. M., S. Kloster, S. Engelstaedter, J. K. Moore, S. Mukhopadhyay, J. R. McConnell, S. Albani, et al. "Observed 20th century desert dust variability: impact on climate and biogeochemistry." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 10, no. 22 (November 19, 2010): 10875–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-10875-2010.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Desert dust perturbs climate by directly and indirectly interacting with incoming solar and outgoing long wave radiation, thereby changing precipitation and temperature, in addition to modifying ocean and land biogeochemistry. While we know that desert dust is sensitive to perturbations in climate and human land use, previous studies have been unable to determine whether humans were increasing or decreasing desert dust in the global average. Here we present observational estimates of desert dust based on paleodata proxies showing a doubling of desert dust during the 20th century over much, but not all the globe. Large uncertainties remain in estimates of desert dust variability over 20th century due to limited data. Using these observational estimates of desert dust change in combination with ocean, atmosphere and land models, we calculate the net radiative effect of these observed changes (top of atmosphere) over the 20th century to be −0.14 ± 0.11 W/m2 (1990–1999 vs. 1905–1914). The estimated radiative change due to dust is especially strong between the heavily loaded 1980–1989 and the less heavily loaded 1955–1964 time periods (−0.57 ± 0.46 W/m2), which model simulations suggest may have reduced the rate of temperature increase between these time periods by 0.11 °C. Model simulations also indicate strong regional shifts in precipitation and temperature from desert dust changes, causing 6 ppm (12 PgC) reduction in model carbon uptake by the terrestrial biosphere over the 20th century. Desert dust carries iron, an important micronutrient for ocean biogeochemistry that can modulate ocean carbon storage; here we show that dust deposition trends increase ocean productivity by an estimated 6% over the 20th century, drawing down an additional 4 ppm (8 PgC) of carbon dioxide into the oceans. Thus, perturbations to desert dust over the 20th century inferred from observations are potentially important for climate and biogeochemistry, and our understanding of these changes and their impacts should continue to be refined.
28
Massia, Magali, and Philippe Devillers. "Energy Performance of Vernacular Architecture in Various Desert Climates." Journal of Salutogenic Architecture 2, no. 1 (December 26, 2023): 19–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.38027/jsalutogenic_vol2no1_2.
Full textAbstract:
Summer 2022 is officially the 2nd hottest summer in France since 1900. It resulted in three episodes of heat waves over a total of thirty-three days. Heat waves are characterized by very high temperatures (exceeding seasonal averages) during the day and night for at least three consecutive days. According to initial estimates, it caused a surplus of more than 11,000 deaths in 2022 in France. In France, despite new thermal standards, the thermal comfort of new housing in hot weather remains very inadequate. Thanks to these empirical developments vernacular architecture has demonstrated its adaptation in particularly harsh climates. The objective of this research is to understand the design strategies of four vernacular houses located in four deserts (Algerian Sahara, Arizona, Libyan desert, and Yemen) to ensure summer comfort in hot environments. The thermal behavior of these four vernacular houses has been studied through dynamic thermal simulations performed with the software ‘ArchiWIZARD’, using the same climate conditions. The results are interpreted in terms of operative temperature and related to building compacity. They show how vernacular architecture, located in desert climates, considered summer thermal comfort with design strategies. The thermal inertia of the four case studies is characterized by the daily thermal damping. The results also show the contribution of natural night ventilation on the energy performance of these four vernacular architectures in hot and arid climates.
29
Pigati, Jeffrey S., Kathleen B. Springer, and Jeffrey S. Honke. "Desert wetlands record hydrologic variability within the Younger Dryas chronozone, Mojave Desert, USA." Quaternary Research 91, no. 1 (April 4, 2018): 51–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/qua.2018.14.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractOne of the enduring questions in the field of paleohydrology is how quickly desert wetland ecosystems responded to past episodes of abrupt climate change. Recent investigations in the Las Vegas Valley of southern Nevada have revealed that wetlands expanded and contracted on millennial and sub-millennial timescales in response to changes in climate during the late Quaternary. Here, we evaluate geologic evidence from multiple localities in the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin that suggests the response of wetland systems to climate change is even faster, occurring at centennial, and possibly decadal, timescales. Paleowetland deposits at Dove Springs Wash, Mesquite Springs, and Little Dixie Wash, California, contain evidence of multiple wet and dry cycles in the form of organic-rich black mats, representing periods of past groundwater discharge and wet conditions, interbedded with colluvial, alluvial, and aeolian sediments, each representing dry conditions. Many of these wet-dry cycles date to within the Younger Dryas (YD) chronozone (12.9–11.7 ka), marking the first timeintra-YD hydrologic variability has been documented in paleowetland deposits. Our results illustrate that desert wetland ecosystems are exceptionally sensitive to climate change and respond to climatic perturbations on timescales that are relevant to human society.
30
Wu, Shupu, Xin Gao, Jiaqiang Lei, Na Zhou, and Yongdong Wang. "Spatial and Temporal Changes in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and Their Driving Factors in the Desert/Grassland Biome Transition Zone of the Sahel Region of Africa." Remote Sensing 12, no. 24 (December 16, 2020): 4119. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs12244119.
Full textAbstract:
The ecological system of the desert/grassland biome transition zone is fragile and extremely sensitive to climate change and human activities. Analyzing the relationships between vegetation, climate factors (precipitation and temperature), and human activities in this zone can inform us about vegetation succession rules and driving mechanisms. Here, we used Landsat series images to study changes in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) over this zone in the Sahel region of Africa. We selected 6315 sampling points for machine-learning training, across four types: desert, desert/grassland biome transition zone, grassland, and water bodies. We then extracted the range of the desert/grassland biome transition zone using the random forest method. We used Global Inventory Monitoring and Modelling Studies (GIMMS) data and the fifth-generation atmospheric reanalysis of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ERA5) meteorological assimilation data to explore the spatiotemporal characteristics of NDVI and climatic factors (temperature and precipitation). We used the multiple regression residual method to analyze the contributions of human activities and climate change to NDVI. The cellular automation (CA)-Markov model was used to predict the spatial position of the desert/grassland biome transition zone. From 1982 to 2015, the NDVI and temperature increased; no distinct trend was found for precipitation. The climate change and NDVI change trends both showed spatial stratified heterogeneity. Temperature and precipitation had a significant impact on NDVI in the desert/grassland biome transition zone; precipitation and NDVI were positively correlated, and temperature and NDVI were negatively correlated. Both human activities and climate factors influenced vegetation changes. The contribution rates of human activities and climate factors to the increase in vegetation were 97.7% and 48.1%, respectively. Human activities and climate factors together contributed 47.5% to this increase. The CA-Markov model predicted that the area of the desert/grassland biome transition zone in the Sahel region will expand northward and southward in the next 30 years.
31
Mahowald, N., K. Lindsay, D. Rothenberg, S. C. Doney, J. K. Moore, P. Thornton, J. T. Randerson, and C. D. Jones. "Desert dust and anthropogenic aerosol interactions in the Community Climate System Model coupled-carbon-climate model." Biogeosciences Discussions 7, no. 5 (September 1, 2010): 6617–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-7-6617-2010.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Coupled-carbon-climate simulations are an essential tool for predicting the impact of human activity onto the climate and biogeochemistry. Here we incorporate prognostic desert dust and anthropogenic aerosols into the CCSM3.1 coupled carbon-climate model and explore the resulting interactions with climate and biogeochemical dynamics through a series of transient anthropogenic simulations (20th and 21st centuries) and sensitivity studies. The inclusion of prognostic aerosols into this model has a small net global cooling effect on climate but does not significantly impact the globally averaged carbon cycle; we argue that this is likely to be because the CCSM3.1 model has a small climate feedback onto the carbon cycle. We propose a mechanism for including desert dust and anthropogenic aerosols into a simple carbon-climate feedback analysis to explain the results of our and previous studies. Inclusion of aerosols has statistically significant impacts on regional climate and biogeochemistry, in particular through the effects on the ocean nitrogen cycle and primary productivity of altered iron inputs from desert dust deposition.
32
Mahowald, N., K. Lindsay, D. Rothenberg, S. C. Doney, J. K. Moore, P. Thornton, J. T. Randerson, and C. D. Jones. "Desert dust and anthropogenic aerosol interactions in the Community Climate System Model coupled-carbon-climate model." Biogeosciences 8, no. 2 (February 15, 2011): 387–414. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-8-387-2011.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Coupled-carbon-climate simulations are an essential tool for predicting the impact of human activity onto the climate and biogeochemistry. Here we incorporate prognostic desert dust and anthropogenic aerosols into the CCSM3.1 coupled carbon-climate model and explore the resulting interactions with climate and biogeochemical dynamics through a series of transient anthropogenic simulations (20th and 21st centuries) and sensitivity studies. The inclusion of prognostic aerosols into this model has a small net global cooling effect on climate but does not significantly impact the globally averaged carbon cycle; we argue that this is likely to be because the CCSM3.1 model has a small climate feedback onto the carbon cycle. We propose a mechanism for including desert dust and anthropogenic aerosols into a simple carbon-climate feedback analysis to explain the results of our and previous studies. Inclusion of aerosols has statistically significant impacts on regional climate and biogeochemistry, in particular through the effects on the ocean nitrogen cycle and primary productivity of altered iron inputs from desert dust deposition.
33
Zhou, Shijie, Yiqiang Dong, Asitaiken Julihaiti, Tingting Nie, Anjing Jiang, and Shazhou An. "Spatial Variation in Desert Spring Vegetation Biomass, Richness and Their Environmental Controls in the Arid Region of Central Asia." Sustainability 14, no. 19 (September 26, 2022): 12152. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su141912152.
Full textAbstract:
A precise evaluation of spatial patterns in desert vegetation biomass, species richness and their environmental controls is essential for a deeper comprehension of the potential carbon preservation and sustainability of grassland ecosystems. There are widespread reports suggesting robust associations among biomass, species richness and mean annual precipitation (MAP) or temperature (MAT) at different scales. However, these reports were inconsistent, and knowledge on the desert grasslands of Central Asia remains limited. In this study, we showed that spatial patterns of biomass and species richness along the zonal climate of the northern Tianshan Mountains exhibited substantial regional differences and the relationship among biomass, richness and elevation exhibited a substantial exponential decline. We discovered that functional groups of biomass, total biomass and species richness in the desert exhibited exponential growth along the MAP gradient and a quadratic relationship with MAT. Furthermore, the biomass–species richness relationships were bell-shaped in the desert zone. Accordingly, the biomass and species richness had spatial differences. At a regional scale, the spatial variation in the desert biomass and species richness was primarily dependent on climate. Our results demonstrated the specificity between the desert vegetation and climate in arid regions of Central Asia and revealed the regularity between biomass and species richness in desert areas. The research results emphasized the impact of precipitation on desert vegetation in arid regions of Central Asia and the relationship between biomass and plant species richness, which is of great significance for understanding desert ecosystems and protecting the ecological environment.
34
Wu, Nitu, Guixiang Liu, Deji Wuyun, Bole Yi, Wala Du, and Guodong Han. "Spatial-Temporal Characteristics and Driving Forces of Aboveground Biomass in Desert Steppes of Inner Mongolia, China in the Past 20 Years." Remote Sensing 15, no. 12 (June 13, 2023): 3097. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs15123097.
Full textAbstract:
The desert steppe serves as a transitional zone between grasslands and deserts, and long-term monitoring of aboveground biomass (AGB) in the desert steppe is essential for understanding grassland changes. While AGB observation techniques based on multisource remote-sensing data and machine-learning algorithms have been widely applied, research on monitoring methods specifically for the desert steppe remains limited. In this study, we focused on the desert steppe of Inner Mongolia, China, as the study area and used field sampling data, MODIS data, MODIS-based vegetation indices (VI), and environmental factors (topography, climate, and soil) to compare the performance of four commonly used machine-learning algorithms: multiple linear regression (MLR), partial least-squares regression (PLS), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) in AGB estimation. Based on the optimal model, the spatial–temporal characteristics of AGB from 2000 to 2020 were calculated, and the driving forces of climate change and human activities on AGB changes were quantitatively analyzed using the random forest algorithm. The results are as follows: (1) RF demonstrated outstanding performance in terms of prediction accuracy and model robustness, making it suitable for AGB estimation in the desert steppe of Inner Mongolia; (2) VI contributed the most to the model, and no significant difference was found between soil-adjusted VIs and traditional VIs. Elevation, slope, precipitation, and temperature all had positive effects on the model; (3) from 2000 to 2020, the multiyear average AGB in the study area was 58.34 g/m2, exhibiting a gradually increasing distribution pattern from the inner region to the outer region (from north to south); (4) from 2000 to 2020, the proportions of grassland with AGB slightly and significantly increasing trend in the study area were 87.08% and 5.13%, respectively, while the proportions of grassland with AGB slightly and significantly decreasing trend were 7.76% and 0.05%, respectively; and (5) over the past 20 years, climate change, particularly precipitation, has been the primary driving force behind AGB changes of the study area. This research holds reference value for improving desert steppe monitoring capabilities and the rational planning of grassland resources.
35
Zheng, Hongbo, Bihui Zhang, Huan Xu, Xiaochun Wei, Ryuji Tada, Qing Yang, and Wanshu Yang. "Birth of the Taklamakan Desert: When and How?" STEM Education 3, no. 1 (2023): 57–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.3934/steme.2023005.
Full textAbstract:
<abstract> <p>The Taklimakan Desert is one of the largest deserts and sand seas in the world and plays a critical role in the global aerosol (eolian dust) system, impacting both climate and ecosystems on continents and over oceans. Geological evidence suggests that much of the western part of the Tarim Basin, which is now covered by the vast sandy desert, was once the eastern fringe of the Paratethys Sea. After the retreat of the sea, the area transformed into a fluvial system before becoming an mountain front alluvial fan system due to the uplift of the northern Tibetan Plateau. Deserts developed during this period, as sand dunes and eolian loess deposits were formed and buried to become part of the sedimentary sequence. Dating of these sequences suggests that the Taklimakan Desert, in a similar form to what we observe today, came into existence no later than 25 million years ago. Taklimakan Desert was formed as a response to a combination of widespread regional aridification due to the rain shadow effect and increased erosion in the surrounding mountain fronts, both of which are closely linked to the tectonic uplift of the Tibetan-Pamir Plateau and Tian Shan, which had reached a climatically sensitive threshold at this time.</p> </abstract>
36
Fei, Cheng, Yi Qiang Dong, and Sha Zhou An. "Factors driving the biomass and species richness of desert plants in northern Xinjiang China." PLOS ONE 17, no. 7 (July 22, 2022): e0271575. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0271575.
Full textAbstract:
The desert ecosystem is an important part of the terrestrial ecosystem. Accurate estimations of the biomass and species richness of desert plants are of great value for maintaining ecosystem stability; however, current assessments remain a challenge due to the large spatial heterogeneity in biomass and species richness and difficulties posed by time-consuming field surveys, particularly in remote areas. In the present study, There were 527 sampling sites, and each sampling site contained approximately 9 quadrats. Approximately 4500 quadrats in total were taken from the Junggar Desert of northern Xinjiang, and the spatial distribution and factors driving the biomass and species richness of the desert ecosystem were quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that the average aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, litter, and the Patrick index of the Junggar Desert in northern Xinjiang were 115.42 gm−2, 924.77 gm−2, 13.06 gm−2, and 63, with values ranging from 2–708.12 gm−2, 120.25–3537.3 gm−2, 2–56.46 gm−2, and 0–377, respectively, The mean of the variation coefficient was 56.19%, 41.16%, 62.16% and 73.83%, suggesting moderate variation. The result is affected by the differences between the desert environment and climate. Climate factors had a relatively large impact on species richness, and the variation coefficient of species richness was large, indicating a large degree of dispersion of species richness. The direct influence of environmental and climatic factors on underground biomass (BGB) is relatively small, and its coefficient of variation is small. The spatial distribution of biomass and species richness in northern Xinjiang gradually decreased from west to east. Redundancy analysis showed that climate was the main factor driving desert biomass and species richness in northern Xinjiang, with an average independent explanatory power of 20.38% and 18.57%, respectively. Structural equation modeling indicated that climate factors, elevation, and community coverage had a direct positive effect on the aboveground biomass of the desert plants in northern Xinjiang and a direct negative effect on the belowground biomass. Moreover, climate factors and biological factors showed a direct positive effect on the species richness in northern Xinjiang.
37
Port, U., M. Claussen, and V. Brovkin. "Radiative forcing and feedback by forests in warm climates – a sensitivity study." Earth System Dynamics Discussions 6, no. 2 (December 14, 2015): 2577–615. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/esdd-6-2577-2015.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. The biogeophysical effect of forests in a climate with permanent high-latitude ice cover has already been investigated. We extend this analysis to warm, basically ice-free climates, and we choose the early Eocene, some 54 to 52 million years ago, as paradigm for such type of climate. We use the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology Earth System Model to evaluate the radiative forcing of forests and the feedbacks triggered by forests in early Eocene and pre-industrial climate, respectively. To isolate first-order effects, we compare idealised simulations in which all continents are covered either by dense forests or by deserts with either bright or dark soil. In comparison with desert continents covered by bright soil, forested continents warm the planet in the early Eocene climate and in the pre-industrial climate. The warming can be attributed to different feedback processes, though. The lapse-rate – water-vapour feedback is stronger in early Eocene climate than in pre-industrial climate, but strong and negative cloud-related feedbacks nearly outweigh the positive lapse-rate – water-vapour feedback in the early Eocene climate. Subsequently, global mean warming by forests is weaker in the early Eocene climate than in the pre-industrial climate. Sea-ice related feedbacks are weak in the almost ice-free climate of the early Eocene, thereby leading to a weaker high-latitude warming by forests than in the pre-industrial climate. When the land is covered with dark soils, forests cool the early Eocene climate stronger than the pre-industrial climate because the lapse-rate and water-vapour feedbacks are stronger in the early Eocene climate. Cloud-related feedbacks are equally strong in both climates. We conclude that radiative forcing by forests varies little with the climate state, while most subsequent feedbacks depend on the climate state.
38
Wu, Rihan, Guozheng Hu, Hasbagan Ganjurjav, and Qingzhu Gao. "Sensitivity of Grassland Coverage to Climate across Environmental Gradients on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau." Remote Sensing 15, no. 12 (June 19, 2023): 3187. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs15123187.
Full textAbstract:
Grassland cover is strongly influenced by climate change. The response of grassland cover to climate change becomes complex with background climate. There have been some advances in research on the sensitivity of grassland vegetation to climate change around the world, but the differences in climate sensitivity among grassland types are still unclear in alpine grassland. Therefore, we applied MODIS NDVI data and trend analysis methods to quantify the spatial and temporal variation of grassland vegetation cover on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Then, we used multiple regression models to analyze the sensitivity of fractional vegetation cover (FVC) to climatic factors (Temperature, Precipitation, Solar radiation, Palmer drought severity index) and summarized the potential mechanisms of vegetation sensitivity to different climatic gradients. Our results showed (1) a significant increasing trend in alpine desert FVC from 2000–2018 (1.12 × 10−3/a, R2 = 0.56, p < 0.001) but no significant trend in other grassland types. (2) FVC sensitivity to climatic factors varied among grassland types, especially in the alpine desert, which had over 60% of the area with positive sensitivity to temperature, precipitation and PDSI. (3) The sensitivity of grassland FVC to heat factors decreases with rising ambient temperature while the sensitivity to moisture increases. Similarly, the sensitivity to moisture decreases while the sensitivity to thermal factors increases along the moisture gradient. Furthermore, the results suggest that future climate warming will promote grassland in cold and wet areas of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and may suppress vegetation in warmer areas. In contrast, the response of the alpine desert to future climate is more stable. Studying the impact of climate variation at a regional scale could enhance the adaptability of vegetation in future global climates.
39
Guan, Jingyun, Moyan Li, Xifeng Ju, Jun Lin, Jianguo Wu, and Jianghua Zheng. "The potential habitat of desert locusts is contracting: predictions under climate change scenarios." PeerJ 9 (October 26, 2021): e12311. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12311.
Full textAbstract:
Desert locusts are notorious for their widespread distribution and strong destructive power. Their influence extends from the vast arid and semiarid regions of western Africa to northwestern India. Large-scale locust outbreaks can have devastating consequences for food security, and their social impact may be long-lasting. Climate change has increased the uncertainty of desert locust outbreaks, and predicting suitable habitats for this species under climate change scenarios will help humans deal with the potential threat of locust outbreaks. By comprehensively considering climate, soil, and terrain variables, the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model was used to predict the potential habitats of solitary desert locusts in the 2050s and 2070s under the four shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585) in the CMIP6 model. The modeling results show that the average area under the curve (AUC) and true skill statistic (TSS) reached 0.908 ± 0.002 and 0.701, respectively, indicating that the MaxEnt model performed extremely well and provided outstanding prediction results. The prediction results indicate that climate change will have an impact on the distribution of the potential habitat of solitary desert locusts. With the increase in radiative forcing overtime, the suitable areas for desert locusts will continue to contract, especially in the 2070s under the SSP585 scenario, and the moderately and highly suitable areas will decrease by 0.88 × 106 km2 and 1.55 × 106 km2, respectively. Although the potentially suitable area for desert locusts is contracting, the future threat posed by the desert locust to agricultural production and food security cannot be underestimated, given the combination of maintained breeding areas, frequent extreme weather events, pressure from population growth, and volatile sociopolitical environments. In conclusion, methods such as monitoring and early warning, financial support, regional cooperation, and scientific prevention and control of desert locust plagues should be further implemented.
40
Bai, Yanying, Thomas A. Scott, and Qingwen Min. "Impacts of Soil Climate on Desert Scrubs Distribution in the Mojave Desert." Arid Land Research and Management 27, no. 1 (January 2013): 79–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15324982.2012.719572.
Full text
41
Luo, Yan, and Yanming Gong. "α Diversity of Desert Shrub Communities and Its Relationship with Climatic Factors in Xinjiang." Forests 14, no. 2 (January 18, 2023): 178. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f14020178.
Full textAbstract:
In the past 30 years, Northwest China has experienced a warm and humid climate increase trend. How this climate change will affect the species diversity of plant communities is a hot issue in ecological research. In this study, four α diversity indexes were applied in 29 shrub communities at desert sites in Xinjiang, including the Margalef index, Simpson index, Shannon–Wiener index, and Pielou index, to explore the relationship between the α diversity of the desert shrub communities and climate factors (mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP)). The species diversity indexes varied across these different desert shrub communities. Tamarix ramosissima communities had the highest Margalef index, while the Krascheninnikovia ewersmannia communities had the lowest Margalef index; T. ramosissima communities also showed the highest Simpson index and Shannon–Wiener index, but Alhagi sparsifolia communities showed the lowest Simpson index and Shannon–Wiener index. The Ephedra przewalskii communities and Karelinia caspica communities showed the highest and the lowest Pielou index, respectively. The α diversity indexes (except the Pielou index) of desert shrub communities had a significantly positive correlation with MAP (p < 0.05) but a non-significantly correlation with MAT (p > 0.05). These results indicate that, compared with temperature, water conditions are still a more vital climatic factor affecting the species diversity of desert shrub communities in Xinjiang, and thus, the recent “warm and humid” climate trend in Xinjiang affects the α diversity of desert shrub communities.
42
Zhang, Qiuwei, and James F. White. "Bioprospecting Desert Plants for Endophytic and Biostimulant Microbes: A Strategy for Enhancing Agricultural Production in a Hotter, Drier Future." Biology 10, no. 10 (September 26, 2021): 961. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biology10100961.
Full textAbstract:
Deserts are challenging places for plants to survive in due to low nutrient availability, drought and heat stress, water stress, and herbivory. Endophytes—microbes that colonize and infect plant tissues without causing apparent disease—may contribute to plant success in such harsh environments. Current knowledge of desert plant endophytes is limited, but studies performed so far reveal that they can improve host nutrient acquisition, increase host tolerance to abiotic stresses, and increase host resistance to biotic stresses. When considered in combination with their broad host range and high colonization rate, there is great potential for desert endophytes to be used in a commercial agricultural setting, especially as croplands face more frequent and severe droughts due to climate change and as the agricultural industry faces mounting pressure to break away from agrochemicals towards more environmentally friendly alternatives. Much is still unknown about desert endophytes, but future studies may prove fruitful for the discovery of new endophyte-based biofertilizers, biocontrol agents, and abiotic stress relievers of crops.
43
Hachfeld, Berit, and Norbert Jürgens. "Climate patterns and their impact on the vegetation in a fog driven desert: The Central Namib Desert in Namibia." Phytocoenologia 30, no. 3-4 (November 24, 2000): 567–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/phyto/30/2000/567.
Full text
44
Salguero-Gómez, Roberto, Wolfgang Siewert, Brenda B. Casper, and Katja Tielbörger. "A demographic approach to study effects of climate change in desert plants." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 367, no. 1606 (November 19, 2012): 3100–3114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2012.0074.
Full textAbstract:
Desert species respond strongly to infrequent, intense pulses of precipitation. Consequently, indigenous flora has developed a rich repertoire of life-history strategies to deal with fluctuations in resource availability. Examinations of how future climate change will affect the biota often forecast negative impacts, but these—usually correlative—approaches overlook precipitation variation because they are based on averages . Here, we provide an overview of how variable precipitation affects perennial and annual desert plants, and then implement an innovative, mechanistic approach to examine the effects of precipitation on populations of two desert plant species. This approach couples robust climatic projections, including variable precipitation, with stochastic, stage-structured models constructed from long-term demographic datasets of the short-lived Cryptantha flava in the Colorado Plateau Desert (USA) and the annual Carrichtera annua in the Negev Desert (Israel). Our results highlight these populations' potential to buffer future stochastic precipitation. Population growth rates in both species increased under future conditions: wetter, longer growing seasons for Cryptantha and drier years for Carrichtera . We determined that such changes are primarily due to survival and size changes for Cryptantha and the role of seed bank for Carrichtera . Our work suggests that desert plants, and thus the resources they provide, might be more resilient to climate change than previously thought.
45
Arbel, A., I. Segal, O. Yekutieli, and N. Zamir. "NATURAL VENTILATION OF GREENHOUSES IN DESERT CLIMATE." Acta Horticulturae, no. 281 (July 1990): 167–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.17660/actahortic.1990.281.19.
Full text
46
Griffis-Kyle, Kerry L., Krista Mougey, Matt Vanlandeghem, Sharmistha Swain, and Joseph C. Drake. "Comparison of climate vulnerability among desert herpetofauna." Biological Conservation 225 (September 2018): 164–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2018.06.009.
Full text
47
Guo, Linghui, Liyuan Zuo, Jiangbo Gao, Yuan Jiang, Yongling Zhang, Shouchen Ma, Youfeng Zou, and Shaohong Wu. "Revealing the Fingerprint of Climate Change in Interannual NDVI Variability among Biomes in Inner Mongolia, China." Remote Sensing 12, no. 8 (April 23, 2020): 1332. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs12081332.
Full textAbstract:
An understanding of the response of interannual vegetation variations to climate change is critical for the future projection of ecosystem processes and developing effective coping strategies. In this study, the spatial pattern of interannual variability in the growing season normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for different biomes and its relationships with climate variables were investigated in Inner Mongolia during 1982–2015 by jointly using linear regression, geographical detector, and geographically weighted regression methodologies. The result showed that the greatest variability of the growing season NDVI occurred in typical steppe and desert steppe, with forest and desert most stable. The interannual variability of NDVI differed monthly among biomes, showing a time gradient of the largest variation from northeast to southwest. NDVI interannual variability was significantly related to that of the corresponding temperature and precipitation for each biome, characterized by an obvious spatial heterogeneity and time lag effect marked in the later period of the growing season. Additionally, the large slope of NDVI variation to temperature for desert implied that desert tended to amplify temperature variations, whereas other biomes displayed a capacity to buffer climate fluctuations. These findings highlight the relationships between vegetation variability and climate variability, which could be used to support the adaptive management of vegetation resources in the context of climate change.
48
Strebkov, Dmitry. "Investigation of the Methods of Self-Heating Climate Prevention." International Journal of Energy Optimization and Engineering 9, no. 2 (April 2020): 37–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijeoe.2020040104.
Full textAbstract:
The investigation has shown that the main cause of the global climate change is “anthropogenic thermal pollution,” which is created by the activity of mankind and creates the prerequisites for breaking the heat balance of the planet and transferring the climate into a state of self-heating. By different estimates, in 20-60 years there could be a point of no return for the warming of the climate of Earth when no material resources of mankind are able to stop the global disaster connected with thawing of glaciers, increasing level of the ocean of 80-100 m and the transition of the Earth climate to a condition incompatible with biological life. Urgent transition to fuel-free power and a change of radiation balance of Earth by increasing the albedo of the cities and deserts is necessary. Calculating the area of specular reflectors and the area of deserts necessary for their location, are necessary to prevent global warming, and showed that the required area is 0.95-1.21% of the area of the African desert.
49
Anwar, Nabil. "Climate Modification Research for Desert Development: III. Analysis of Asian Deserts' Simulation Results." مجلة جامعة الملك عبدالعزيز-علوم الإرصاد والبيئة وزراعة المناطق الجافة 22, no. 3 (2011): 1–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.4197/met.22-3.1.
Full text
50
Soost, R. K., and J. W. Cameron. "‘Melogold‘, A Triploid Pummelo – Grapefruit Hybrid." HortScience 20, no. 6 (December 1985): 1134–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/hortsci.20.6.1134.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract ‘Melogold’ is an early-maturing, seedless, hybrid grapefruit-type citrus released for use in interior areas of California. It may be suitable for intermediate climate zones in other citrus areas. Fruit quality has not been satisfactory in cool, humid climates nor in hot desert areas.