Vale, C. G., & Brito, J. C. (2015). Desert-adapted species are vulnerable to climate change: Insights from the warmest region on Earth. Global Ecology and Conservation, 4, 369-379.

Climate change is eroding biodiversity and conservation efforts have focused on species’ potential responses to those changes. Biological traits associated with sensitivity and adaptive capacities may contribute in identifying a species vulnerability to climate change. Desert-living species could be particularly vulnerable to climate change as they may already live at their physiological limits. This work aims to identify functional groups in Sahara-Sahel endemics, to determine their spatial distribution and to evaluate how the predicted magnitude and velocity of climate change in the region might affect them. We collated biological traits data for all Sahara-Sahel endemics. We then summarized the functional strategy of each species into functional groups with different sensitivities and adaptive capacities to climate change. Future climate scenarios were reclassified to identify areas where predicted temperature and precipitation approach the physiological limits of each group. We calculated the velocity of temperature and precipitation change as the ratio of the temporal gradient to the spatial gradient. Specific magnitudes and velocities of environmental change threaten our seven function groups differently according to their level of exposure and geographical distributions. Groups are more exposed to precipitation than to temperature changes. The more exposed functional groups lived mostly in flat areas, where the predicted magnitude and velocities of change were also the highest. Some functional groups with high adaptive capacities (e.g. volant species) may be able to colonize distinct areas. Other groups with low sensitivity and adaptive capacity (e.g.: ectotherms with small home ranges) may be vulnerable to climate change. Different biological traits contributed to the extent to which climate change harms species. The desert-adapted species may be the most vulnerable ones. The vulnerability patterns of Sahara-Sahel functional groups provide indications of combinations of biological traits and biodiversity’s exposure to climate change in other warm deserts of the world.

Del Campo, A. D., González-Sanchis, M., Ilstedt, U., Bargués-Tobella, A., & Ferraz, S. (2019). Dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems: water at the core. Unasylva 251: Forests: nature-based solutions for water, 251(1), 27.

Dryland systems occur on all continents and cover about 41 percent of the Earth’s land surface, with little variation in this figure in recent decades (Cherlet et al., 2018). Drylands differ in their moisture deficit and can be classified in four subtypes according to the United Nations Environment (UNEP) aridity index (AI)1  as dry subhumid (0.65– 0.5), semiarid (0.5–0.2), arid (0.2–0.05) or hyperarid (<0.05) (Figure 1).2  Forests and grasslands are the dominant biomes in the dry subhumid and semiarid subtypes, respectively (more than 60 percent of the subtype areas). On the other hand, the arid and hyperarid subtypes are mostly treeless (FAO, 2016) and thus beyond the scope of this article.

Based on their underlying definition (i.e. by AI), annual potential evapotranspiration (PET) in dry subhumid and semiarid lands is considerably higher than annual precipitation, with frequent meteorological droughts. These atmospheric drivers lead to low soil moisture and this, in turn, means slow tree growth and low productivity, resulting in a socio-ecological context of water scarcity. Marked rainfall seasonality, with torrential events followed by long dry periods, and the combination of high intra- and interannual variability, put such regions within the “difficult” hydrology framework, which hampers water security, sustainable development and poverty reduction (Grey and Sadoff, 2007). southern Africa, Australia, the Middle East and Central Asia (Cherlet et al., 2018). The intensification of precipitation and other climatic extremes under warmer conditions is likely to increase water scarcity and moisture deficits in drylands and beyond. Climatic constraints increase the role of soil processes and properties in the regulation and magnitude of water-related issues in drylands, especially those concerned with resource storage (e.g. soil depth, infiltrability, deep-water storage and erosion). Thus, land-use and management practices, especially nature-based solutions, are extremely important for the soil–water–productivity complex. This article uses case studies in dryland on three continents to show the importance of a water-centred approach to dryland management for increasing resilience and adaptation to climate change

Cunningham, S. C., Mac Nally, R., Baker, P. J., Cavagnaro, T. R., Beringer, J., Thomson, J. R., & Thompson, R. M. (2015). Balancing the environmental benefits of reforestation in agricultural regions. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 17(4), 301-317.

Reforestation is an important tool for reducing or reversing biodiversity loss and mitigating climate change. However, there are many potential compromises between the structural (biodiversity) and functional (carbon sequestration and water yield) effects of reforestation, which can be affected by decisions on spatial design and establishment of plantings. We review the environmental responses to reforestation and show that manipulating the configuration of plantings (location, size, species mix and tree density) increases a range of environmental benefits. More extensive tree plantings (>10 ha) provide more habitat, and greater improvements to carbon and water cycling. Planting a mixture of native trees and shrubs is best for biodiversity, while traditional plantation species, generally non-native species, sequester C faster. Tree density can be manipulated at planting or during early development to accelerate structural maturity and to manage water yields. A diversity of habitats will be created by planting in a variety of landscape positions and by emulating the patchy distribution of forest types, which characterized many regions prior to extensive landscape transformation. Areas with shallow aquifers can be planted to reduce water pollution or avoided to maintain water yields. Reforestation should be used to build forest networks that are surrounded by low-intensity land use and that provide links within regions and between biomes. While there are adequate models for C sequestration and changes in water yields after reforestation, the quantitative understanding of changes in habitat resources and species composition is more limited. Development of spatial and temporal modelling platforms based on empirical models of structural and functional outcomes of reforestation is essential for deciding how to reconfigure agricultural regions. To build such platforms, we must quantify: (a) the influence of previous land uses, establishment methods, species mixes and interactions with adjacent land uses on environmental (particularly biodiversity) out- comes of reforestation and (b) the ways in which responses measured at the level of individual plantings scale up to watersheds and regions. Models based on this information will help widespread reforestation for carbon sequestration to improve native biodiversity, nutrient cycling and water balance at regional scales.

Meli, P., Martínez‐Ramos, M., Rey‐Benayas, J. M., & Carabias, J. (2014). Combining ecological, social and technical criteria to select species for forest restoration. Applied vegetation science, 17(4), 744-753.

Question: How to evaluate and integrate relevant ecological, social and technical criteria to select species to be introduced in restoration projects of highly diverse ecosystems such as tropical riparian forests.

Location: Riparian forest, Marques de Comillas municipality, southeast Mexico (16°54′N, 92°05′W).

Methods: We proposed a ‘species selection index’ (SSI) using five independent criteria related to ecological, social and technical information. SSI targeted species that (1) are important in the reference forest; (2) are less likely to establish following disturbance; (3) are not specific to a particular habitat; (4) are socially accepted; and (5) their propagation requires a reasonable time and financial investment. SSI may range between zero and 50, with higher values meaning higher potential for restoration purposes.

Results: Out of a local pool of 97 species, we identified 30 target tree species that together represented >60% of total importance value index in the reference riparian forests. SSI averaged 28.3  1.0 over the studied species, suggesting that species with high values are not frequent. For 20 species, reintroduction by means of active forest restoration was deemed necessary. Species that established through natural regeneration, following secondary regrowth, had lower social value among local farmers. Nearly half of the identified species showed technical constraints for easy propagation and seeding.

Conclusions: The proposed procedure is useful for selecting species to initiate forest restoration projects and of other woody ecosystems that harbour high biodiversity, and is suitable for several stakeholders interested in restoration.

Lawson, S.S. and Michler, C.H., 2014. Afforestation, restoration and regeneration – Not all trees are created equal. Journal of Forestry Research, 25(1): 3−20 DOI 10.1007/s11676-014-0426-5.

Undulations in weather patterns have caused climate shifts of increased frequency and duration around the world. The need for additional research and model data on this pressing problem has resulted in a plethora of research groups examining a particular tree species or biome for negative effects of climate change. This review aims to (1) collect and merge recent research data on regeneration within old- and new-growth forests, (2) highlight and expand upon selected topics for additional discussion, and (3) report how shade tolerance, drought tolerance, and inherent plasticity affect tree growth and development. Although shade and drought tolerance have been well studied by a number of research groups, this review reveals that in-depth analysis of a single or a few species in a given area will not generate the data required to implement a successful regeneration plan. Studies using historical accounts of previous species composition, information regarding site seasonality, species competition, and individual responses to drought and shade are needed to (1) develop best management plans and (2) ensure future modeling experiments are focused on a greater variety of species using more innovative methods to evaluate climate change effects.