Arid Ecosystems 

About: Arid Ecosystems is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Biology & Environmental science. It has an ISSN identifier of 2079-0961. Over the lifetime, 544 publications have been published receiving 1723 citations.

Influences of Physiographic Factors, Vegetation Patterns and Human Impacts on Aeolian Landforms in Arid Environment

Abstract: During the last few decades, the inland and coastal aeolian landforms of southern Kuwait showed severe land degradation and deterioration of plant cover due to human impacts such as spring camping, offroad driving and overgrazing. This study aimed to quantify the edaphic conditions and vegetation composition of the main types of aeolian landforms in the southern desert of Kuwait and to investigate the effects of vegetation, climate, physiography and impacts of anthropogenic activities on the features and stability of aeolian sand deposits and subsequently land degradation and vegetation loss. This study classified the southern aeolian deposits into four main landforms: inland active sand sheets, inland stable sand sheets, coastal stable sand sheets and coastal stable sabkhas. These landforms are mostly influenced with soil texture, moisture content, organic matter, salinity, vegetation cover, wind strength and intensity of land use. A total of 46 plant species in 23 families was found in these landforms. Poaceae species dominated the vegetation of inland active and stable sand sheets; however Asteraceae and Chenopodiacea species dominated the vegetation of coastal stable sand sheets and coastal sabkhas. Therefore, the growth of these species in hot deserts is adaptive to the accumulation of wind-borne sediments within or around their canopies. Annuals and perennial herbs were the dominant growth forms in the aeolian landforms. The Shannon-diversity of the plant species was lower at inland stable sand sheets than at inland active sand sheets, coastal stable sand sheets and coastal stable sabkhas. The dominant perennials were Cyperus conglomeratus, Stipagrostis ciliata and Moltkiopsis ciliata at inland aeolian landforms, and Zygophyllum qatarense, Salsola imbricate, Suaeda aegyptiaca, Cyperus conglomeratus and Launaea mucronata, Suaeda vermiculata, Lycium shawii and Halocnemum strobilaceum at coastal aeolian landforms. The dominant annuals were Schismus barbatus at inland aeolian landforms and Polycarpaea repens, Schismus barbatus, and Cornulaca aucheri at coastal aeolian landforms. Deterioration of plant cover, decline in sub-shrubs and shrubs, lacking of trees and severe land degradation in the inland and coastal aeolian landforms of southern Kuwait are attributed to human impacts. Effective management plan for human activities and restoration program for degraded aeolian landforms may include prohibitions of human activities that adversely affect native plant communities, planting of certain native perennial species efficient in trapping sands and stabilization of aeolian landforms, such as Poaceae species and Chenopodiaceae species. In addition, awareness programs and participation of local inhabitants are crucial measures to guarantee successful of restoration plan.

Salinity tolerance of macroinvertebrates in stream waters (review)

Abstract: The review of the salinity tolerance of various macrozoobenthos taxa is based on the published data and the results of our studies. Significant differences in the tolerance of hydrobionts to water salinity in rivers of different arid regions are shown. Leeches, bivalved mollusks, larvae of stoneflies, caddis flies, and mayflies are the most stenohaline species. The taxonomical structure of macrozoobenthos in saline rivers of Lake Elton basin in the arid zone of Russian South is presented.

Review of Gobi bear research (Ursus arctos gobiensis, Sokolov and Orlov, 1992)

Abstract: Gobi bear (Ursus arctos gobiensis, Sokolov, Orlov, 1992) is endangered and occurs only in isolated populations in the Southwestern part of Mongolia. It is listed in the Red book of Mongolia (1987, 1997, 2013) and is registered in Annex I of the Convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES, 1991). Hunting for the Gobi bear is prohibited by law in 1953, nowadays it is protected in the Great Gobi reserve. The article provides generalized information about habitat, behavior, diet, and mortality of Gobi bear. The research also touched upon the peculiarities of its historical distribution in Gobi (and the subsequent loss of habitat), movement, size, and taxonomic status. Previous analysis of mitochondrial DNA (Galbreath et al., 2007; McCarthy et al., 2009) showed that Gobi bear is similar to the subspecies Ursus arctos Preliminary analysis based on nuclear microsatellite markers indicates that Gobi bear is actually can be a separate subspecies of Ursus arctos gobiensis (Tumendemberel et al., 2015а). The analysis of 2835 places of encounters of five bears using GPS for the period from 2005 to 2009 has allowed estimating that within the Great Gobi reserve for the habitat of the Gobi bear suitable territory is about 23619.18 km2. The current habitat is likely reduced by 60% from historical range. Based on the telemetry data and the results of genetic analyses, the current distribution of bears in the Gobi desert was estimated. Adult females have moved around an area of about 514 km2 within 1009–1532 m above sea level around Shar Khuls oasis. Adult males moved through the area about 2465–2485 km2; altitudinal limits of 1122–1492 m. International Team Project on Gobi bear, together with researchers from the Gobi bear Fund, Institute of General and Experimental biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences and the administration of the Great Gobi reserve in 2005 have used camera traps to estimate population size of Gobi bear. It is established that on the reserve territory at least 18 bears were including 7 males, 4 females, and 2 calves (Amgalan et al., 2005). Using genetic analyses (DNA microsatellites) from more than 1000 hair samples taken near 14 springs, it was calculated that during 2008–2009, these springs were visited by 22–31 individuals of Gobi bear, of which at least 14 males and 8 females (Tumendemberel et al., 2015).

The Arid Regions of the World and Their Dynamics in Conditions of Modern Climatic Warming

Abstract: The evaluation of changes occurring in the dynamics of arid lands and desertification processes is carried out with regard for the influence of the climatic factor on land aridization. The total land area and area of arid lands by continent, including the territory of Dagestan and the southern regions of Russia, are characterized for the first time. It is shown that the problem of arid lands and desertification has both scientific and socioeconomic meanings. In different arid and subarid zones, the origins and dynamic properties depend on region-wide conditions: in warm-temperate and subarid conditions, the processes of desertification are manifested with the leading role of the anthropogenic factor; in tropical and subtropical zones, they occur under the influence of the climatic factor.

Diversity assessment of vertebrate fauna in a wetland of hot hyperarid lands

Abstract: A great paradox arises when we talk about biodiversity in wetlands located at hot-hyperarid lands. Ayata Lake (155 ha) belongs to the complex of wetlands of Oued Righ Valley in Algerian Lower-Sahara. Surveys conducted between October 2009 and June 2010 has allowed assessing vertebrate diversity living in the lake and its surrounding areas. Several methods and techniques were used for sampling and censing each group of vertebrate (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals). Inventories revealed the existence of 03 fish, 02 amphibians, 06 reptiles, 55 birds, and 07 mammals. Phenological types (winter or summer migrant, resident-breeder occasional visitor) were attributed to birds then population dynamics were discussed. Birds used generally the waterbody in winter where migrants, mainly waterbirds, were abundant. We investigated for most inventoried species the specific habitats where they are occurring, and which respond to their behavioural and diet ecology. Biogeography status of vertebrate species revealed a desert affinity, which is represented mainly by Saharan and Saharo-sindian bio-models; except for birds which revealed dominance of Palaearctic biogeographical categories. This approach helped to highlight the biological resources of Ayata Lake and determine its actual ecological value. Furthermore, this study proposes some suggestions for management and conservation purposes.