Spatiotemporal patterns and driving forces of dust weather events in Central Asia from 2000 to 2020
January 2026
Central Asia is characterized by an arid climate and widespread desert distribution, with its sustainable development severely constrained by dust events. An objective understanding of the spatiotemporal...
Effect of drought and elevated temperature on the physiological and biochemical properties of C3 and C4 halophytes in Amaranthaceae
January 2026
Rising temperatures and increased droughts caused by climate change significantly reduce crop yields. Halophytes with different photosynthetic metabolism types have specific mechanisms for resistance...
Multi-source remote sensing and machine learning reveal spatiotemporal variations and drivers of NPP in the Tianshan Mountains, China
January 2026
Arid mountain ecosystems are highly sensitive to hydrothermal stress and land use intensification, yet where net primary productivity (NPP) degradation is likely to persist and what drives it remain...
Divergent vegetation response to increasing grazing pressure in arid and semi-arid rangelands in Argentina
January 2026
The connection between climatic factors and grazing is essential for maintaining ecosystem function and vegetation productivity. This study examined the impact of grazing intensity on vegetation across...
Changes and determinants of belowground bud banks of a rhizomatous clonal plant Sophora alopecuroides L. in the desert steppe, northern China
January 2026
Belowground bud banks are essential for the regeneration of plant population in arid desert areas, and their response to environmental changes could reflect adaptive strategies of plants to desert habitats....
Soil culturable heterotrophic bacterial composition in natural and artificial forests: Responses to seasonal variations and tree species in a semi-arid forest ecosystem
January 2026
Soil bacteria are integral to ecosystem functioning, significantly contributing to nutrients cycling and organic matter decomposition, and enhancing soil structure. This research considered the composition...
Projection and reclassification of land use types in Lanzhou, Northwest China
January 2026
Land use in arid and semi-arid regions has a substantial effect on climate, environment, and biodiversity, thereby projecting the spatiotemporal changes in land use and the subsequent effects. This...
Phosphate-solubilizing fungi: Isolation, characterization, and impact on soil as potential biofertilizers
February 2026
The escalating global demand for sustainable agriculture necessitates the development of effective biological alternatives to conventional chemical fertilizers, particularly those addressing phosphorus...
Spatiotemporal evolution of net ecosystem productivity and the driving mechanisms in Horqin Sandy Land, China
January 2026
Vegetation in terrestrial ecosystems as a carbon sink is a crucial factor in mitigating global warming and reaching carbon neutrality targets, although the drivers of net ecosystem productivity (NEP)...
Improving land cover classification in drylands with MSAVI: Evidence from the South Aral Seabed
February 2026
The South Aral Seabed is an extreme dryland ecosystem undergoing rapid transformation yet remains misrepresented or absent in global land cover datasets. Conventional vegetation indices, specifically...
Analysis of bank slope stability considering vegetation hydro-mechanical reinforcement
February 2026
The banks in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River in China are weak in erosion resistance and prone to collapse. Vegetation, as a natural reinforcement material, can effectively improve slope...
Glacial melting impact on runoff and evapotranspiration based on glacier-coupled SWAT model: A case study in the upper Shiyang River Basin, China
February 2026
Glacial meltwater constitutes a vital component of the water supply in arid and semi-arid areas. However, the influence of glacial melting on runoff and evapotranspiration under global warming remains...
Quantifying the impact of dust retention on maize canopy spectral reflectance and vegetation indices in dust belt regions: A case study in southern Xinjiang, China
January 2026
Sand dust belts span approximately one-fifth of the global land surface. In these regions, dust tends to settle on vegetation surfaces, altering the observed reflectance and affecting remote sensing...
Flammability of plant communities in arid and semi-arid ecosystems: Identifying key drivers and management implications
February 2026
Arid and semi-arid ecosystems are prone to extensive fires due to specific climatic conditions, sparse vegetation cover, and high density of fine fuels. Understanding the flammability characteristics...
Assessing future drought evolution and driving mechanisms in the Weigan River Basin under CMIP6 climate scenarios
February 2026
In the northern Tarim River Basin, the Weigan River Basin is a critical endorheic system characterized by extreme aridity, where drought poses a major natural hazard to agricultural production and ecological...
Influence of grazing patterns on the stability of soil aggregates in semi-arid grasslands
February 2026
Global grassland degradation necessitates the identification of sustainable grazing management strategies. In semi-arid regions, grazing exclusion (GE), cold-season grazing (CG), and free grazing (FG)...
Prior-year climate and fuel availability shape fire occurrence in the semi-arid woody lands of Argentina
February 2026
Fire is a fundamental ecological driver shaping natural vegetation patterns. In the semi-arid southern Espinal-Monte ecotone of Argentina, the spatiotemporal patterns of fire occurrence related to and...
Wind and sand control in composite shelterbelts combining Cyperus esculentus with trees and shrubs: Evidence from wind tunnel and field studies
February 2026
Cyperus esculentus (C. esculentus), a desert-adapted plant species with both ecological and economic value, has been widely cultivated in northern China's sandy regions. However, limited studies have...