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Photo of Hakim Abdi

Hakim Abdi

Researcher

Photo of Hakim Abdi

The human–environment nexus and vegetation–rainfall sensitivity in tropical drylands

Author

  • Christin Abel
  • Stéphanie Horion
  • Torbern Tagesson
  • Wanda De Keersmaecker
  • Alistair W.R. Seddon
  • Abdulhakim M. Abdi
  • Rasmus Fensholt

Summary, in English

Global climate change is projected to lead to an increase in both the areal extent and degree of aridity in the world’s drylands. At the same time, the majority of drylands are located in developing countries where high population densities and rapid population growth place additional pressure on the ecosystem. Thus, drylands are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes and large-scale environmental degradation. However, little is known about the long-term functional response of vegetation to such changes induced by the interplay of complex human–environmental interactions. Here we use time series of satellite data to show how vegetation productivity in relation to water availability, which is a major aspect of vegetation functioning in tropical drylands, has changed over the past two decades. In total, one-third of tropical dryland ecosystems show significant (P < 0.05) changes in vegetation–rainfall sensitivity with pronounced differences between regions and continents. We identify population as the main driver of negative changes, especially for developing countries. This is contrasted by positive changes in vegetation–rainfall sensitivity in richer countries, probably resulting from favourable climatic conditions and/or caused by an intensification and expansion of human land management. Our results highlight geographic and economic differences in the relationship between vegetation–rainfall sensitivity and associated drivers in tropical drylands, marking an important step towards the identification, understanding and mitigation of potential negative effects from a changing world on ecosystems and human well-being.

Department/s

  • Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
  • Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC)

Publishing year

2020-08-24

Language

English

Pages

25-32

Publication/Series

Nature Sustainability

Volume

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Topic

  • Physical Geography
  • Remote Sensing
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Climate Research

Keywords

  • Drylands
  • Land-use
  • Climate research
  • Global change ecology
  • Ecology
  • Earth observation
  • Remote sensing

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2398-9629