Dryland ecosystem dynamic change and its drivers in Mediterranean region

This review describes the latest progress of dryland ecosystem dynamic change in the Mediterranean region. Recent findings indicate that extent of dryland in the Mediterranean region has been expanding in the past decades and will continue to expand in the coming decades due to the stronger warming effect than other regions. The warming trend with intensified human activities has generated a series of negative impacts on productivity, biodiversity, and stability of the dryland ecosystem in Mediterranean region. Increased population, overgrazing and, grazing abandonment intensified the land degradation and desertification. The coverage, richness, and abundance of biological soil crust have been reduced due to the decline of soil water availability and increased animals. Future studies are required to further our understanding of the process and mechanism of the dryland dynamics, including the identification of essential variables, discriminating human and climate-induced changes, and modeling future trajectories of dryland changes.