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This book presents recent lessons learned in the context of research and development for various dryland ecosystems, focusing on water resources management, land and vegetation cover degradation and remediation, and socioeconomic aspects, as well as integrated approaches to ensuring water and land security in view of the current and predicted climate change. As water and land are the essential bases of food production, the management of these natural resources is becoming a cornerstone for the development of dryland populations. The book gathers the peer-reviewed, revised versions of the most outstanding papers on these topics presented at the ILDAC2015 Conference in Djerba, Tunisia.

This book focuses on drylands such as arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas where they form the main part of ecosystems, e.g., in Iran, but also around the world. Mismanagement and improper exploitation of these areas lead to more degradation day by day. Besides an introduction to the role and importance of vegetation cover in conserving soil against wind and water erosion, this book gives a scope of appropriate techniques and methods for vegetation establishment and maintenance, indicators for suitable plants selection for soil conservation, and soil erosion prevention and combat. It provides methods of soil erosion prevention and combating through the application of plants, using bioengineering systems for soil erosion control and the role of agroforestry in soil erosion prevention. This book can be helpful to those with an interest in countries with similar climates to Iran. In particular, this includes Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

This book provides an overview of arid and semi-arid lands conditions, their general characteristics, methods of management, conservation, exploitation and reclamation. It also focuses on how to utilize the potential of arid lands with the minimum manipulation and alteration. Arid and semi-arid areas represent a major part of natural ecosystems not only in Iran, but around the world, and mismanagement and inappropriate exploitation of these areas may lead to further gradual degradation. As such, an understanding of the characteristics of these areas is vital if they are to be conserved and reclaimed.

Water Scarcity and Sustainable Agriculture in Semiarid Environment: Tools, Strategies and Challenges for Woody Crops explores the complex relationship between water scarcity and climate change, agricultural water-use efficiency, crop-water stress management and modeling water scarcity in woody crops. Understanding these cause- and effect relationships and identifying the most appropriate responses are critical for sustainable crop production. The book focuses on Mediterranean environments to explain how to determine the most appropriate strategy and implement an effective plan; however, core concepts are translational to other regions. Informative for those working in agricultural water management, irrigation and drainage, crop physiology and sustainable agriculture. Focuses on semi-arid crops including olive, vine, citrus, almonds, peach, nectarine, plum, subtropical fruits and others Explores crop physiological responses to drought at plant, cellular and/or molecular levels Presents tool options for assessing crop-water status and irrigation scheduling

Arid and semi-arid regions can be defined as environments in which water is the limit­ ing factor for bio-systems. This means that survival of life in these regions involves a constant struggle to obtain this limited commodity and draw the maximum benefit out of it. However, despite the difficulties for plants, animals, and man to live in, these regions, they are being utilized more and more because of the pressure of world population growth. This is expressed in the expansion of agricultural activities in desert lands as well as by the formation and rapid growth of urban and industrial centers. These trends result in a growing demand for water on the one hand, and the disposal of vast amounts of waste water, as well as other types of refuse, on the other. Meeting the first demand, namely, supplying water to the agricultural communities and urban centers, involves, in many instances, the over-exploitation and misuse of nat­ ural water resources. The surplus of waste water, sometimes highly loaded with toxic compounds, is likely to cause irreversible damage to the environment. The geoscientists and engineers face a challenge on two conflicting fronts. Success on one front, namely, in answering the full demand for water, may lead to an increase in the pollution of the environment by waste water.

Global warming has worsened the water resource crisis in many arid zones worldwide, from Africa to Asia, affecting millions of people and putting them at risk of hunger. Effective management of arid zone resources, including understanding the risks of toxic trace and heavy elements to humans, coupled with the need to produce more food to feed the world's growing population, has thus become increasingly important. This very timely book, the only one of its kind on the market, fills the gap of our knowledge of trace elements in these regions. Topics include: - content and distribution- solution chemistry- solid-phase chemistry- selective sequential dissolution techniques- transfer fluxes- bioavailability- pollution and remediation. In order to illustrate the themes, a comprehensive and focused case study is presented, and the book closes with the global perspectives on anthropogenic interferences in the natural trace elements'distribution.