Dynamic Causal Patterns of Desertification

Geist, Helmut; Lambin, Éric F.

doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2004)054[0817:dcpod]2.0.co;2

Cited by 505 publications

(316 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…This drought produced intense soil losses in the south of Buenos Aires Province, and increases of suspended sediments in the air were reported [77], as well as a strong dust advection from northern Patagonia in 2009 [78]. During that year, Northern Patagonia became one of the most worldwide active dust sources, as a result of poor livestock management and drought conditions [79,80]. The combination of diminution of freshwater inputs, which are source of fresh water and nutrients and the turbidity variability which influence the light availability, could be the origin of the changes in the optical and physical characteristics of the water affecting, in turn, phytoplankton ecology and the associated bio-optical properties.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and Inter-Annual Analysis of Chlorophyll-a and Inherent Optical Properties from Satellite Observations in the Inner and Mid-Shelves of the South of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina)

et al. 2015

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Abstract:The aim of this study is to describe and understand the seasonal and inter-annual physical and biological dynamics of the inner and mid shelves of the Southwestern Buenos Aires Province (Argentina). We used chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations and inherent optical properties (IOPs), derived from ocean color products between 2002 and 2010, as a proxy for the physical and biological parameters of interest. This study focuses on the absorption by phytoplankton, aph(443), particulate backscattering, bbp(443), and absorption due to dissolved and particulate detrital matter, adg (443), and chl-a derived from a multiband quasi-analytical algorithm (QAA). A regionalization based on the coefficient of variation and the Census X-11 method were applied to define regions and to analyze the inter-annual and seasonal variability of the ocean color parameters, with regards to climate OPEN ACCESSRemote Sens. 2015, 7 11822 variability. The coastal zone presents the highest values of chl-a with two maxima in winter and autumn, while the mid-shelf shows a strong spring chl-a maximum. After 2009, all parameters under study shifted their seasonality and their magnitude changed over the entire area. In the coastal zone, mean values of aph(443) and bbp(443) increased, while in the mid-shelf, chl-a and aph(443) decreased. The observed inter-annual and seasonal behavior of the parameters is tightly related to climate variability of the study area.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and Inter-Annual Analysis of Chlorophyll-a and Inherent Optical Properties from Satellite Observations in the Inner and Mid-Shelves of the South of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina)

et al. 2015

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“…Ecological factors, including NPP and woody-plant cover, determine potential stocking rates but actual stocking rates are modulated by manager's decisions (22). In some cases, land managers overstock rangelands leading to degradation and desertification (23), whereas in other cases managers understock. The latter results from pursuing optimization of multiple ecosystem services of which food production is only one.…”

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confidence: 99%

Effect of woody-plant encroachment on livestock production in North and South America

Anadón

Sala

Turner

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

172

123

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A large fraction of the world grasslands and savannas are undergoing a rapid shift from herbaceous to woody-plant dominance. This land-cover change is expected to lead to a loss in livestock production (LP), but the impacts of woody-plant encroachment on this crucial ecosystem service have not been assessed. We evaluate how tree cover (TC) has affected LP at large spatial scales in rangelands of contrasting social-economic characteristics in the United States and Argentina. Our models indicate that in areas of high productivity, a 1% increase in TC results in a reduction in LP ranging from 0.6 to 1.6 reproductive cows (Rc) per km 2 . Mean LP in the United States is 27 Rc per km 2 , so a 1% increase in TC results in a 2.5% decrease in mean LP. This effect is large considering that woody-plant cover has been described as increasing at 0.5% to 2% per y. On the contrary, in areas of low productivity, increased TC had a positive effect on LP. Our results also show that ecological factors account for a larger fraction of LP variability in Argentinean than in US rangelands. Differences in the relative importance of ecological versus nonecological drivers of LP in Argentina and the United States suggest that the valuation of ecosystem services between these two rangelands might be different. Current management strategies in Argentina are likely designed to maximize LP for various reasons we are unable to explore in this effort, whereas land managers in the United States may be optimizing multiple ecosystem services, including conservation or recreation, alongside LP.global change | food production | social-ecological systems G rasslands, shrublands, and savannas, collectively termed "rangelands," constitute about 50% of the Earth's land surface (1). Although characterized by low yet highly variable annual rainfall, these areas provide 30-35% of terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP) (2), contain >30% of the world's human population, and support the majority of the world's livestock production (LP) (3, 4). Besides LP, rangelands also provide a variety of other ecosystem services, including fiber production, carbon sequestration, maintenance of the genetic library (conservation), and recreation (5).One of the most striking land-cover changes in rangelands worldwide over the past 150 y has been the proliferation of trees and shrubs at the expense of perennial grasses (6). In the United States, nonforest lands undergoing woody-plant encroachment are now estimated to cover up to 335 million ha (40% of the coterminous United States) (7) and the increase in woody cover ranges from 0.5% to 2% per y (8). The causes of this vegetation change are debated and the main potential drivers include intensification of livestock grazing, changes in climate and fire regimes, the introduction of nonnative woody species, and declines (natural and human induced) in the abundance of browsing animals (9-12). Historical increases in atmospheric nitrogen deposition and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration have also been suggested to play ...

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“…Dryland degradation results from complex interactions of multiple drivers, and affects a plurality of social and ecological processes and functions, often in complex, non-linear ways (Geist and Lambin, 2004;Gisladottir and Stocking, 2005;Reynolds et al, 2007), accompanied by multiple and often conflicting values, perspectives, attitudes and underlying sources of knowledge (Berkes et al, 2006). The multi-faceted nature of dryland response to environmental and human pressures call for integrated, transdisciplinary assessment approaches that consider the variety and trade-offs of land management impacts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating knowledge exchange and the assessment of dryland management alternatives – A learning-centered participatory approach

Bautista

Campanyà

Ocampo‐Melgar

et al. 2017

Journal of Environmental Management

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a b s t r a c tThe adoption of sustainable land management strategies and practices that respond to current climate and human pressures requires both assessment tools that can lead to better informed decision-making and effective knowledge-exchange mechanisms that facilitate new learning and behavior change. We propose a learning-centered participatory approach that links land management assessment and knowledge exchange and integrates science-based data and stakeholder perspectives on both biophysical and socio-economic attributes. We outline a structured procedure for a transparent assessment of land management alternatives, tailored to dryland management, that is based on (1) principles of constructivism and social learning, (2) the participation of stakeholders throughout the whole assessment process, from design to implementation, and (3) the combination of site-specific indicators, identified by local stakeholders as relevant to their particular objectives and context conditions, and science-based indicators that represent ecosystem services of drylands worldwide. The proposed procedure follows a pattern of eliciting, challenging, and self-reviewing stakeholder perspectives that aims to facilitate learning. The difference between the initial baseline perspectives and the final self-reviewed stakeholder perspectives is used as a proxy of learning. We illustrate the potential of this methodology by its application to the assessment of land uses in a Mediterranean fire-prone area in East Spain. The approach may be applied to a variety of socio-ecological systems and decision-making and governance scales.

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Dynamic Causal Patterns of Desertification

Abstract: Using a meta-analytical research design, we analyzed subnational case studies (n = 132)

Cited by 505 publications

References 36 publications

Seasonal and Inter-Annual Analysis of Chlorophyll-a and Inherent Optical Properties from Satellite Observations in the Inner and Mid-Shelves of the South of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina)

Seasonal and Inter-Annual Analysis of Chlorophyll-a and Inherent Optical Properties from Satellite Observations in the Inner and Mid-Shelves of the South of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina)

Effect of woody-plant encroachment on livestock production in North and South America

Integrating knowledge exchange and the assessment of dryland management alternatives – A learning-centered participatory approach

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