Permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC) is a relatively new method for rapidly and affordably assessing labile soil carbon, but it is still unclear which soil fractions POXC most closely represents. Although the activity of soil enzymes is essential in the breakdown of soil organic materials, their role in arid environments and how they are affected by agricultural practices and climate change are still poorly understood. This study aims to assess how POXC and potential soil enzyme activities [β-glucosidase (BG), N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (NAG), alkaline phosphomonoesterase (ALP), and arylsulfatase (ARS)] responded to random and uneven application of organic and inorganic fertilizers caused by several issues in irrigation system and farmer practices in a cultivated farm located in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and to assess possible correlations between them and other soil properties in five locations near and inside the farm. The results revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in BG, ALP, and POXC between some locations, but no differences were found in NAG and ARS. Strong positive correlations existed between POXC and each of ALP, BG, Zn and Mn. Overall, POXC, BG, and ALP could be sensitive indicators of soil quality in arid regions. Soil texture and pH could be essential factors limiting or constraining the sensitivity of NAG and ARS as soil quality indicators in arid regions.

Exploring the potential impacts of photovoltaic arrays on ecosystem conditions in arid and semi – arid regions

In arid and hyper-arid regions, natural habitats with limited water availability are characterized by sparce vegetation, low host density, and harsh climatic conditions. Whether these arid natural habitats can support natural enemies and facilitate biological control in local agroecosystems is largely unknown. In this study, we determined the effects of landscape composition (the coverage of native Gobi habitats, water bodies and the Shannon's landscape diversity index) on the abundance of mummified aphids and the aphid parasitism rate in local conventional cotton fields under the desert-oasis landscape settings in southern Xinjiang, China. Additionally, to evaluate the impacts of landscape effects above on aphid control, we also investigated the relationship between parasitism rate and aphid population density. Our results demonstrated that: (i) parasitic wasps provide unstable but effective biological control, especially in August; (ii) the in-field mummified aphid abundance and the aphid parasitism rate showed a consistent negative correlation with coverage in the local landscape of native Gobi habitat, both in July and August; (iii) the abundance of live aphids was significantly negatively correlated to aphid parasitism rate in August, which thus linked the percentage cover of high Gobi habitat with relative higher aphid pressure in local cotton fields. Our research clarifies the impact of arid natural habitats on parasitic wasps and their pest control capabilities in arid and hyper-arid cotton growing regions. This finding provides useful information for the development of conservation biological control strategies based on habitat management in arid and hyper-arid regions. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Mapping wind erosion potential using remote sensing and artificial neural networks: Insights for soil conservation in arid regions

Salinity regulates the fate of dissolved organic matter in ice-covered lakes: coupling physical fractionation with microbial transformation.

Sources and distribution of atmospheric microplastics in Northwest China river valleys via land use.

Rainfall determines the temporal stability of soil water content following the conversion of deep rooted to shallow rooted vegetation in arid regions

Dustfall source-apportionment and source-oriented health risk assessment using unsupervised machine learning, PMF, and HYSPLIT: Insights from a hotspot area in Xinjiang, China.

The development of efficient and stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts for seawater electrolysis is vital to enable sustainable hydrogen production in coastal and arid regions without further burdening scarce...

Abstract In mid-April 2024, the Arabian Peninsula was struck by an extreme rainfall event, during which some areas received an entire year’s worth of precipitation within just 24 hours. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the hardest hit, experiencing widespread flooding, four fatalities, and economic damages exceeding USD 544 million. Analysis of multiple precipitation datasets confirmed that this was the most intense daily rainfall event ever recorded in the region. To investigate the system responsible, a state-of-the-art storm-tracking algorithm was applied to reconstruct the evolution of the mesoscale convective system (MCS) that caused the hazard. Findings revealed that peak intensity occurred on 16 April, contributing more than 70% of the total event rainfall. Synoptic-scale diagnostics pointed to the rare convergence of two key drivers: enhanced low-level moisture transport via a strengthened Somali Low-Level Jet (SLLJ) and an unusually strong Arabian Cold Vortex (ACV) in the mid-troposphere. Long-term reanalysis data indicate that such a combination is extremely rare, observed on only 0.006% of all days in the 1940–2024 daily record, previously exceeded only during the 2019 Iran floods. However, forecasts from 11 models in the International Grand Global Ensemble (TIGGE) archive consistently underestimated rainfall (mean bias of −63.6%), due to the severe underestimation of the SLLJ and the moderate overestimation of 500-hPa geopotential height. These results underscore the growing threat of extreme precipitation in arid regions and emphasize the urgent need to improve model capabilities in forecasting moisture dynamics and upper-level disturbances under the changing climate.

Hydrochemical evolution and salinization dynamics in Lake Chaiwopu Basin (Arid NW China): Insights from multi-tracer and geochemical modeling.

Estimation of seasonal ecological water demand in arid zone of Northwest China: An approach using the LSTM-random forest regression model.

Vegetation suffers greater and longer impacts under hydrological-triggered droughts.

Global water access issues and growing energy demands necessitate advanced water-extraction technologies such as atmospheric water harvesting (AWH). However, conventional AWH systems often require intensive energy input for water desorption, which limits their practical application. This study focuses on reducing the desorption temperature to increase the water-release efficiency of AWH systems by using a metal-organic framework (MOF) and an oligomeric liquid-based composite. Our approach leverages the high water-adsorption capacity of MOF303 (Al(OH)(pzdc), pzdc2-: 1H-pyrazole-3,5-dicarboxylate), along with its structural stability, while increasing the dehydration rate and reducing the desorption enthalpy. We found that the composite of MOF303 and poly(propylene glycol) with an average molecular weight of 400 (PPG400), along with other oligomers, is a strategic choice for efficient water recovery owing to the hydrophilicity-difference-induced water transfer (HWT) mechanism from the nanopores of the MOF to the liquid oligomer. The thermodynamic behaviour of water desorption in these composites was investigated, and MOF303-PPG400 (1 : 1 weight ratio) composites exhibited an approximately 36 °C decrease in water-desorption temperature compared with pure MOF303, which indicated that the material properties were optimised, reducing the heat energy. This study contributes to the development of sustainable and low-energy AWH systems that can be applied in arid regions and off-grid water sources using only low-grade heat sources.

Host phylogeny and traits shape the composition and network structure of the phyllosphere microbial communities in temperate desert plants.

Exploring trade-offs and synergies in the water-agriculture-ecology nexus via cropping structure optimization.

Comparisons of SPI and SPEI in capturing drought dynamics: A Global assessment across arid and humid regions

Effects and action pathways of oxygenation strategies for enhancing cotton yield and quality under mulched drip irrigation in arid oasis regions

Optical properties of carbonaceous aerosols and their radiative effects in arid and semi-arid regions of northwestern India

Reseeding native species indirectly enhances degraded desert steppe stability by increasing functional diversity in arid areas.