Water scarcity constrains the livelihoods of millions of people in tropical drylands. Tree
planting in these environments is generally discouraged due to the large water consumption …

Drylands cover about 40% of the terrestrial land surface and account for approximately 40%
of global net primary productivity. Water is fundamental to the biophysical processes that …

Although playing an important role in sha** the environment, the mechanisms responsible
for runoff initiation and yield in arid and semiarid regions are not yet fully explored. With …

The enhancement of infiltration capacity in the presence of vegetation is well documented in
arid ecosystems where it can significantly impact the water balance and vegetation spatial …

Shrubs have invaded extensive areas of grassland in the southwestern United States. The
zones of nutrient-rich soil found beneath plant canopies, referred to as “islands of fertility,” …

Heterogeneity of soil resources was investigated in the Mojave Desert to better understand
spatial variability of soil attributes in a Larrea tridentata–Ambrosia dumosa community. Six …

Small plots and a dripper rainfall simulator were used to explore the significance of the
intensity fluctuations ('event profile') within simulated rainfall events on infiltration and runoff …

Macropores formed by the root systems of woody shrubs may be an important conduit for
downward water movement in desert soils. An experiment with 32 1· 0-m2plots, 16 with a …

The hydrological response of semiarid watersheds to short but intense rainfall events is
complex due to feedbacks among water fluxes, vegetation patches, topography, and soil …

In arid and semi-arid grassland, many models hypothesize that desertification leads to the
replacement of grassland by shrubland vegetation; however, the theoretical interpretations …