Arid Land Systems: Sciences and Societies
Troy Sternberg and Ariell Ahearn
Understanding deserts and drylands is essential, as arid landscapes cover >40% of the Earth and are home to two billion people. Today’s problematic environment–human interaction needs contemporary knowledge to address dryland complexity. Physical dimensions in arid zones—land systems, climate and hazards, ecology—are linked with social processes that directly impact drylands, such as land management, livelihoods, and development. The challenges require integrated research that identifies systemic drivers across global arid regions. This book, based on a Special Issue in the journal Land, unifies desert science, arid environments, and development. Chapters identify land dynamics, address system risks and delineate human functions through original research in dryland regions.
The chapters draw together a great variety of global drylands. Research explores the Gobi Desert and China, Central Asia and the Middle East, as well as multiple African dimensions and Latin America. The aim is to understand the essential themes that arid and semi-arid regions encounter and engage with today. This interdisciplinary study reflects the vital links between social and environmental science in global deserts. Using mixed methodologies and varied techniques, the original work stresses today’s topical themes to present novel analyses. The book offers much to dryland researchers, stakeholders and importantly, policy makers, who shape the world’s vast desert landscapes.
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Publication Details
- Published: 2019
- Publisher: Mdpi AG
- ISBN-10: 3039213474
- ISBN-13: 978-3039213474
- Dewey Decimal: 630.915