10.5061/DRYAD.15DV41NSM
Eldridge, David
0000-0002-2191-486X
UNSW Sydney
Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel
King Juan Carlos University
Quero, José Luis
Universidad Paccioli de Córdoba
Ochoa, Victoria
University of Alicante
Gonzalo, Beatriz
University of Alicante
García-Palacios, Pablo
King Juan Carlos University
Escolar, Cristina
King Juan Carlos University
Garcia-Gomez, Miguel
Technical University of Madrid
Beinticinco, Laura
National University of La Pampa
Bowker, Matthew
Northern Arizona University
Bran, Donaldo
National Agricultural Technology Institute
Castro, Ignacio
Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez
Cea, Alex
University of La Serena
Derak, Mchich
Haut-Commissariat aux Eaux et Forêts et à la Lutte Contre la Désertification
Espinosa, Carlos Ivan
Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja
Fronertino, Adriana
Central University of Venezuela
Gaitán, Juan
Lietuvos Mokslo Taryba
Gatica, Gabriel
Fundación Ciencias Exactas y Naturales
Gómez-González, Susana
University of Cádiz
Ghiloufi, Wahida
University of Sfax
Gutierrez, Julio
University of La Serena
Gusmán-M., Elizabeth
Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja
Hernandez, Rosa
Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez
Hughes, Frederic
State University of Feira de Santana
Muiño, Walter
National University of La Pampa
Monerris, Jose
Agrinova
Ospina, Abelardo
Central University of Venezuela
Ramirez, David
International Potato Center
Ribas-Fernández, Yanina
National University of San Juan
Romão, Roberto
Chemie³ (Germany)
Torres, Cristian
Grupo Español de Investigación en Neurooncología
Koen, Terry
NSW Office of Environment & Heritage
Maestre, Fernando
0000-0002-7434-4856
University of Alicante
Surface indicators are correlated with soil multifunctionality in global
drylands
Dryad
dataset
2020
soil health
soil attributes
Soil condition
nutrient functions
litter
soil stability
2020-01-20T00:00:00Z
2020-01-20T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13540
183296 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
1. Multiple ecosystem functions need to be considered simultaneously to
manage and protect the many ecosystem services that are essential to
people and their environments. Despite this, cost effective, tangible,
relatively simple, and globally-relevant methodologies to monitor in situ
soil multifunctionality, i.e. the provision of multiple ecosystem
functions by soils, have not been tested at the global scale. 2. We
combined correlation analysis and structural equation modelling to explore
whether we could find easily measured, field-based indicators of soil
multifunctionality (measured using functions linked to the cycling and
storage of soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus). To do this, we gathered
soil data from 120 dryland ecosystems from five continents. 3. Two soil
surface attributes measured in situ (litter incorporation and surface
aggregate stability) were the most strongly associated with soil
multifunctionality, even after accounting for geographic location and
other drivers such as climate, woody cover, soil pH and soil electric
conductivity. The positive relationships between surface stability and
litter incorporation on soil multifunctionality was greater beneath the
canopy of perennial vegetation than in adjacent, open areas devoid of
vascular plants. The positive associations between surface aggregate
stability and soil functions increased with increasing mean annual
temperature. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our findings demonstrate that
a reduced suite of easily measured in situ soil surface attributes can be
used as potential indicators of soil multifunctionality in drylands
worldwide. These attributes, which relate to plant litter (origin,
incorporation, cover), and surface stability, are relatively cheap and
easy to assess with minimal training, allowing operators to sample many
sites across widely varying climatic areas and soil types. The
correlations of these variables are comparable to the influence of climate
or soil, and would allow cost-effective monitoring of soil
multifunctionality under changing land use and environmental conditions.
This would provide important information for evaluating the ecological
impacts of land degradation, desertification and climate change in
drylands worldwide.