Drylands

doi:10.1017/9781108903196.019

14 - Drylands

from Part IV - Managing Connectivity

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 April 2025

Patricia Saco ,

Jose Rodriguez ,

Mariano Moreno-de las Heras ,

Steven Sandi Rojas and

Edited by

Anthony Parsons and

Ronald Pöppl: Affiliation:
BOKU University Vienna
Anthony Parsons: Affiliation:
University of Sheffield
Saskia Keesstra: Affiliation:
Wageningen Universiteit, The Netherlands

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Summary

Vegetation cover in drylands tends to be sparse and organised as a mosaic of patches with high biomass interspersed within a bare soil component. Water availability and vegetation are tightly coupled in these environments, where landscape function is determined by hydrologic and sediment connectivity. In this chapter, we analyse and synthesise previous studies describing how understanding, measuring and modifying connectivity can be used to guide the design of management strategies aiming at improving landscape resilience. We describe how drylands are very sensitive to both water and wind erosion, which have the potential to increase connectivity beyond tipping points at which the system transitions abruptly to a degraded state that may be irreversible. We discuss methods for the identification of early warning indicators of transition to degraded states, which could be used as a preventive management tool. We also describe existing strategies and approaches to reduce connectivity at different spatial scales as a way of managing degraded landscapes.

Keywords

vegetation patches measuring and modifying connectivity management strategies landscape resilience tipping points

Type: Chapter
Information: Connectivity in Geomorphology , pp. 355 - 378

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108903196.019 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2025

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