Monitoring degradation in arid and semi-arid forests and woodlands: The case of the argan woodlands (Morocco)

Arid and semi-arid forests and woodlands (hereafter called «dryland forests»), in spite of their ecological and social importance, have received little attention in land change studies. Growing evidence shows that these forests have been receding at very high rates in many places, suggesting a need for a better understanding of the processes and causes of dryland forest degradation. Changes in the extent of dryland forests are debated in part because estimates of forest and woodland areas in drylands are uncertain. Causal explanations of the degradation tend to draw on the literature on desertification and tropical deforestation, and to emphasize either local or remote, and either social or biophysical drivers. This study contributes to a better understanding of dryland forest degradation as a basis for conservation policies. Firstly, we argue that monitoring arid and semi-arid forests and woodlands using area estimates may lead to an underestimation of the severity of change because tree density change often exceeds area change. Secondly, we argue that the analysis of degradation processes in these multifunctional landscapes should integrate both local and remote, and both social and biophysical factors. We use a case study of degradation in the argania woodlands in semi-arid to arid Southwest Morocco to test these two claims. We used gridded tree counts on aerial photographs and satellite images to estimate forest change between 1970 and 2007, and we tested several possible causes of change on the basis of original socio-economic field surveys and climatic and topographic data. We found that forest density declined by 44.5% during this period, a figure that is significantly underestimated if forest area change is used as a measure of degradation. Increasing aridity and, to a lesser extent, fuelwood extraction were related to forest decline. No effect of grazing by local livestock was found.     

The PIRLA project (Paleoecological Investigation of Recent Lake Acidification): an introduction to the synthesis of the project

Collected sets of papers synthesizing data derived from the PIRLA project (Paleoecological Investigation of Recent Lake Acidification) will appear in coming issues of the Journal of Paleolimnology. This paper is designed to highlight these forthcoming papers, review the development and objectives of PIRLA, and acknowledge the many who have supported PIRLA in so many crucial ways.This is the first of a series of papers to be published by this journal which is a contribution of the Paleoecological Investigation of Recent Lake Acidification (PIRLA) project. Drs. D.F. Charles and D.R. Whitehead are guest editors for this series.     

The extended reproductive season of tent tortoises (Psammobates tentorius tentorius): A response to an arid and unpredictable environment

In arid environments, limited resources may compromise allocations to reproduction, while unpredictable rainfall may confound the timing of reproductive events. Here we evaluate how female tent tortoises (Psammobates tentorius tentorius) allocate resources to reproduction while coping with low and unpredictable rainfall. Vitellogenesis in tent tortoises started in autumn, when rainfall was highest and most predictable. Tent tortoises required a high body condition and large follicles to ovulate their first clutches, but a temperature threshold for ovulation may have prevented breeding during the winter months. Females produced small clutches (1.78±0.63; 1–3 eggs) but produced several clutches (3.7±1.6; 1–6 clutches) from spring to late autumn. Clutch frequency (CF) was correlated to body condition, and CF rather than clutch size (CS) determined annual fecundity. Although body size influenced egg size, body size had no effect on CS, CF or fecundity. There was no trade-off between relative egg size and CS. The small clutches of tent tortoises limit the risks of producing too many offspring at one time, a scenario that may leave females without resources for their own needs. When clutches are small, an extended breeding season enhances reproductive output by providing females more time and opportunities to leave offspring.