Responses and feedbacks of African dryland ecosystems to environmental changes
Wei, Fangli ; Wang, Shuai ; Brandt, Martin ; Fu, Bojie ; Meadows, Michael E. ; Wang, Lixin ; Wang, Lanhui LU
; Tong, Xiaowei
and Fensholt, Rasmus
(2021)
In Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability
48.
p.29-35
- Abstract
Drylands occupy 43% of the African continent and play an important role in the global carbon cycle and in supporting local livelihoods. Understanding how dryland ecosystems respond to environmental changes, both structurally and functionally, is of great significance for sustainable dryland management. In this article, we review the current remote sensing-based knowledge on African dryland ecosystem dynamics and the main drivers of changes. Global CO2 enrichment, changes in rainfall regimes, and a decline in fire activity have collectively driven vegetation greening, woody plant increase and carbon dynamics in African drylands over recent decades, challenging the long-held desertification narrative. Here we also highlight the... (More)
Drylands occupy 43% of the African continent and play an important role in the global carbon cycle and in supporting local livelihoods. Understanding how dryland ecosystems respond to environmental changes, both structurally and functionally, is of great significance for sustainable dryland management. In this article, we review the current remote sensing-based knowledge on African dryland ecosystem dynamics and the main drivers of changes. Global CO2 enrichment, changes in rainfall regimes, and a decline in fire activity have collectively driven vegetation greening, woody plant increase and carbon dynamics in African drylands over recent decades, challenging the long-held desertification narrative. Here we also highlight the importance of rainfall–vegetation–fire feedbacks in enhancing dryland ecosystem resilience and predicting future ecosystem responses.
(Less)
- author
- Wei, Fangli
; Wang, Shuai
; Brandt, Martin
; Fu, Bojie
; Meadows, Michael E.
; Wang, Lixin
; Wang, Lanhui
LU
; Tong, Xiaowei
and Fensholt, Rasmus
- publishing date
- 2021-02
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability
- volume
- 48
- pages
- 7 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85091376087
- ISSN
- 1877-3435
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.cosust.2020.09.004
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier B.V.
- id
- b3608bef-d214-4260-ad7e-50aca17381bb
- date added to LUP
- 2025-05-16 09:15:12
- date last changed
- 2025-05-22 13:27:23
@article{b3608bef-d214-4260-ad7e-50aca17381bb,
abstract = {{<p>Drylands occupy 43% of the African continent and play an important role in the global carbon cycle and in supporting local livelihoods. Understanding how dryland ecosystems respond to environmental changes, both structurally and functionally, is of great significance for sustainable dryland management. In this article, we review the current remote sensing-based knowledge on African dryland ecosystem dynamics and the main drivers of changes. Global CO<sub>2</sub> enrichment, changes in rainfall regimes, and a decline in fire activity have collectively driven vegetation greening, woody plant increase and carbon dynamics in African drylands over recent decades, challenging the long-held desertification narrative. Here we also highlight the importance of rainfall–vegetation–fire feedbacks in enhancing dryland ecosystem resilience and predicting future ecosystem responses.</p>}},
author = {{Wei, Fangli and Wang, Shuai and Brandt, Martin and Fu, Bojie and Meadows, Michael E. and Wang, Lixin and Wang, Lanhui and Tong, Xiaowei and Fensholt, Rasmus}},
issn = {{1877-3435}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{29--35}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability}},
title = {{Responses and feedbacks of African dryland ecosystems to environmental changes}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2020.09.004}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.cosust.2020.09.004}},
volume = {{48}},
year = {{2021}},
}