Hyper-arid, arid, semi-arid and dry-sub-humid climate zones (all of them considered drylands) occupy over 40 % of the Earth’s land surface and are home to more than 2 billion people. Contrary to the popular image of this important set of biomes, drylands are home to 36 % of carbon stores, 30 % of forested areas, 50 % of the world’s livestock, and 44 % of croplands. These figures give an idea of their social, economic, and ecological importance – the focus of the monograph’s first article – and argue for the need to know and understand their functioning and manage human activities in an increasingly changing climate scenario. This is key to enabling their development and preventing their desertification.

More articles from the same journal
Drylands. Opportunities, challenges, and threats
Introduction: Drylands. Opportunities, challenges, and threats
Jaime Martinez-Valderrama, Emilio Guirado, Fernando T. Maestre
PDF | 6–7
Life adapted to precariousness: The ecology of drylands
Jaime Martinez-Valderrama, Emilio Guirado, Fernando T. Maestre
PDF | 9–15
Science and policy to combat desertification: The institutional response to a global challenge
Víctor M. Castillo Sánchez
Desertification is a controversial concept whose nature, extent, causes, and potential solutions are still debated. This paper reviews the arguments put forward for considering desertification a global environmental challenge. We also analyse the institutional response within the United Nations system, especially that of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Thus, the most significant elements of the desertification debate are analysed with respect to their scientific and political dimensions. The text concludes by discussing the need to establish an integrated framework for assessing and responding to desertification that is validated by a science-policy interface.

PDF | 17–23
Intensification of livestock farming in times of climate change: The challenges of domestic grazing in the drylands of the Argentine Patagonia
Laura Yahdjian, Lucas J. Carboni, Sergio Velasco Ayuso, Gaston R. Oñatibia
PDF | 25–31
Latin American drylands: Challenges and opportunities for sustainable development
Anahi Ocampo, América Lutz-Ley, Adriana Zuñiga, Claudia Cerda, Silvana Goirán