Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Projected impacts of climate change on ecosystem services provided by terrestrial mammals in Brazil

Climate change poses a significant threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES). In this study, we evaluated the climate changef risk to 11 ES provided by Brazilian terrestrial mammals by mapping their potential distribution using ecological niche modeling. We assessed risk by estimating species richness (for each ES) and ES richness (for ES overlapped) under current and future conditions. Although most of the species are projected to experience distribution contractions, overall, the individual ES and their overlap are expected to be less at risk to climate change (i.e., gain in redundancy of providers or in area of supply). The Amazon emerges as a hotspot for ES supply by mammals, showing the greatest redundancy and, in some cases, expansion of ES supply. Because ES are benefits to people, and the Amazon is the least populated region in Brazil, this surplus might not translate into actual service. Conversely, the densely populated Atlantic Forest, and the agriculturally productive southern of Cerrado, and Pantanal are expected to lose ES in the future. We emphasize the importance of identifying and mapping ES providers to inform decision-making and policy formulation and guide strategies to deal with climate change and other stressors such as land-use changes. Overall, there is an urgent need for conservation and restoration efforts, particularly in densely populated regions at risk of losing provider species and their ES, such as in the Atlantic Forest. Also, further research is crucial for the Caatinga and Pampa regions, where knowledge gaps were identified.

The Spatiotemporal Variability of Marine Plankton Ecosystem Services at the Regional Scale: A Combined Approach Using a Systematic Review and Network Analysis

Marine plankton include organisms driving multiple ecosystem services (ESs). In this study, we identified ESs provided by planktonic consortia worldwide from the analysis of scientific literature. We also mapped the identified ESs onto forty-nine plankton trophic networks derived from presence–absence data obtained from two coastal surveys in three areas along the coast of the Campania region in the Tyrrhenian Sea (NW Mediterranean). The systematic review evidenced that ESs associated with goods provision and ecosystem regulation were the most studied categories, while cultural ESs were the least considered. The mapping of ESs across the Campania coast revealed significant spatiotemporal variations in plankton-based ESs, which depend on seasonal variability and local environmental conditions. Among the ESs, those connected with the regulation and maintenance of marine ecosystems dominated both temporally and spatially, highlighting the crucial role of plankton in ecosystem stability and resilience. Moreover, although the direct provision of goods and materials was less represented, food provision to higher trophic levels was widespread within each coastal sector, highlighting the crucial role of plankton biodiversity in directly sustaining the whole marine ecosystem and related economic activities such as fisheries and aquacultures.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of human activity and land use on ecosystem service functions in mountainous areas of Northeast Guizhou, Southwest China

With the rapid advancement of urbanization and industrialization, intense land utilization in mountainous areas has led to ecological and environmental issues, and also causing a gradual degradation of ecosystem services. Investigating the spatiotemporal characteristics of human activities on land use and ecosystem services in mountainous areas holds significant practical importance for local ecological conservation and land management. This study utilizes human activity and land use models to evaluate the complex relationship between humans and land in the northeastern Guizhou, employs the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) and the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) models to conduct an in-depth investigation into the spatiotemporal distribution of soil conservation (SC), water yield (WY), carbon sequestration (CS), habitat quality (HQ), and landscape aesthetics (LA). Besides, we utilized the Pearson correlation coefficient and spatial bivariate models to scrutinize the spatial heterogeneity and interactions among these ecosystem services. The results revealed a significant escalation in the intensity of human activity and land use within the study area, with values rising from 0.483 and 316 in 2000 to 0.695 and 351 in 2020, respectively. For 2000–2020, the added value of SC and WY experienced a change of 1.179 t‧hm−2 and 118.503 mm, respectively, while the CS, HQ, and LA have largely remained stable. The spatial distribution of ecosystem service functions exhibited distinct patterns of trade-offs and synergies. The ecosystem's multifunctional benefits were predominantly concentrated in the northern sector of the study area, with the maximum migration distance of class IV hotspots recorded at 70.431 km. Over time, the impact of human activities and land use on ecosystem services has been escalating. Studying the interactions between human activities and land use and their impact on ecosystem services can help us develop land use policies and ecological management strategies.

Regulating (ecosystem) services of an urban natural area: A case study in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Peri-urban conserved natural or semi-natural areas provide several ecosystem services and assist in reducing air pollution in cities. The aim of this study is to assess the contribution to the improvement of air quality of a small area (<1km2) adjacent to a city in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), which is seriously affected by vehicular and industrial emissions of pollutants. Hydrocarbon (HC) and carbonyl compounds (CC) levels were determined, by employing TO-15 and TO-11A US EPA Methods, respectively, in both the urban and green areas. The results showed that the concentrations of anthropogenic HC were approximately 1.7-2.1 times higher in the urban area which confirms that the natural park assists in the dispersion and reduction of pollutants. In the case of the CC compounds, for samples that were collected in the morning, the total mean and median values were 1.3-1.6 times higher in the urbanized zone, while during the afternoon the green area showed values that were 1.5-1.9 times higher. These results suggest that in the green area, the emission or formation of CC compounds through photochemical processes is significant, particularly in the afternoon. Anyway, the ozone forming potential was found to be lower within the natural park in both periods, which confirms the positive role played by conserved natural areas outside or surrounding extensive metropolitan areas in the reduction of atmospheric pollution, in spite of the negative impact of anthropogenic emissions.

Multi-scale urban ecosystem service changes and their impact mechanisms on human well-being.

With increasing urbanization pressures, there is an urgent need to improve the urban residents' well-being and achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Ecosystem services (ESs) are vital for human well-being (HW) and survival, providing essential benefits like clean water while supporting the SDGs. However, understanding the impact mechanism of urban ESs on the HW under the framework of the SGDs in a changing world remains challenging. This study simulated five key ESs: net primary productivity (NPP), water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), soil fixation (SF), and ecosystem carbon sink (ECSI) using ecological models at the pixel, urban green space and county scales, and calculated supply services at the county scale. Then we established an evaluation index system of the HW to reveal the impact mechanism of the ESs on the HW. The study found that in Beijing, the ESs improved by 29.14%-267.42%, while SF decreased by 55.84% during 2000-2020, and the urban green space became a carbon sink since 2010. At the pixel and urban green space scales, vegetation significantly drove the ES dynamics, with the relative importances exceeding 90% in supporting NPP and exceeding 55% in restraining WY. The urban landscape patterns dominated the ES dynamics at the county scale. The impervious landscape percentage inhibited NPP, ECSI and SC with the relative importances of 66.47%, 39.94% and 19.52%. The HW in Beijing increased from 2005 to 2020, with a notable difference between central urban and non-central urban counties. The supporting services supply had significantly negative direct and indirect impacts on the HW. The indirect impact of the urban ecosystem supporting service supply on the HW was through restraining provisioning service supply and supporting regulating service supply. The provisioning service supply had a significantly positive direct influence on the HW. This study can provide valuable references for sustainable urban management.

Phenotypic traits of sunflower varieties depend on the composition of cover crops

ContextIntroducing cover crop (CC) mixtures is a promising approach to enhance the multifunctionality of ecosystem services provided by CCs. However, CC mixtures have contrasting effects on subsequent crop yield, depending on multiple factors such as the type of subsequent crop and the mixture composition. In the context of climate change, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), which is adapted to environments with low nitrogen (N) and water requirements, has multiple varieties with different drought-tolerance strategies. However, little is known about how drought-tolerant sunflower varieties differ in their response to CCs in low-input systems. ObjectiveThis study aimed to characterize CC ecosystem services related mainly to N and water and to investigate how CC ecosystem services influence the responses of sunflower varieties that differ in drought sensitivity. MethodsCCs and sunflower varieties were organized in a randomized non-complete block design with a split-plot arrangement in 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. CC treatments consisted of a pure grass CC (rye), a mixture of legume CCs (purple vetch/fodder pea), three mixtures of legume and non-legume CCs (faba bean/Indian mustard/phacelia; fodder pea/rye/purple vetch and fodder radish/hairy vetch/white mustard) and a relay CC treatment (fodder sorghum then faba bean). Sunflower varieties exhibited different drought-tolerance strategies for leaf expansion and transpiration. Establishment, development, growth, N status and productivity were evaluated for the sunflower varieties preceded by CCs through low- and high-throughput phenotyping. Multiple variables of growth and development were assessed by applying image-processing tools to unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) RGB images. ResultsThe results indicate that CCs influenced early and late N-release uptake by sunflower, thereby extending the seed-filling period. Optimizing the CC chosen allows for yields equivalent to those of intensively tilled bare soil, while increasing the amount of carbon returned to the soil and weed control in low-input cropping systems. Furthermore, in addition to the CC chosen, optimizing the sunflower varieties chosen can improve sunflower growth during dry years. ImplicationsThese results can inform decisions about CCs, sunflower variety and management in low-input systems to better match the nitrogen released from CC residues to subsequent cash crop responses during vegetative and post-flowering phases.

Exploring the quality of ecosystem services and the segmental impact of influencing factors in resource-based cities.

The changes in ecosystems of resource-based cities are closely related to human activities and resource extraction. Understanding the temporal and spatial differentiation characteristics of ecosystems and identifying the main influencing factors on ecosystem services are crucial for optimizing the spatial security pattern of resource-based cities. Previous studies have seldom examined how different factors affect various levels of ecosystem service value (ESV) in segmented ways. This study presents a case study of a typical resource-based city to examine the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of ecosystem services. Furthermore, it employs a spatial quantile regression model to investigate the differentiated impacts of various influencing factors on these ecosystem services. The results indicate that: (1) In the past two decades, the intensity of land use in Tangshan continued to increase, with significant transfer effects between arable land and construction land. The overall ESV in Tangshan showed a fluctuating decline. (2) The area of low-ESV clustering has significantly expanded, with regulating and supporting services being the primary types of ecosystem services, and there is a significant synergistic effect among various ecosystems. (3) Precipitation is the dominant factor enhancing ESV in the region, while mineral extraction activities are the main pressure source threatening high-ESV areas, and the integrity of land use presents a major barrier to improving low-ESV areas. It is crucial to effectively control the boundaries of mineral resource extraction, delineate key protected areas, and restricted development zones.

ECONOMIC VALUATION OF ILLEGAL BRAZILIAN AMAZON DEFORESTATION: A FRAMEWORK BASED ON HABITAT EQUIVALENCY ANALYSIS AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES RESTORATION

This work introduces a framework for assessing the economic value of illegal clearings in the Amazon primary rainforest based on Habitat Equivalency Analysis and the restoration of suppressed ecosystem services (ES). The framework ensures ES restoration in both quantity and quality, considering past and current losses as well as future gains adjusted for discount rates to present values. The translation of ES restoration into economic values is grounded in local market values, striving to ensure the results are both representative and accurate. The application of the framework in 10 ha of illegally cleared Amazon primary rainforest resulted in an economic valuation of 2022 Int.$ 341,611, or 2022 Int.$ 3175 per hectare per year, which is 35 % higher than valuations based solely on timber and cleared area restoration. The framework is sensitive to compensation period, discount rate, and ES recovery curve, leading to economic effects on the valuation of the illegal clearings in the Amazon primary rainforest. The framework is distinguished by its low human, material, and temporal costs, making it applicable even in preliminary environmental assessments. By describing the tangible economic value of Amazon primary rainforest illegal clearings, the framework allows for critical comparison with existing literature on tropical forest values, aiming to enrich society's comprehension of the costs and benefits of Amazon deforestation.

Assessing and mapping changes in soil ecosystem services and soil threats in agroecosystems through scenario-based approaches - A systematic review.

Scenario analysis plays a central role in estimating how global changes affect the relationships linking ecosystem conditions and functioning to human needs. This is particularly true for agroecosystems, which are pivotal to ensure sustainable land planning, ecological management and food security strategies. Soils are key providers of multiple ecosystem services (ES) in agroecosystems but they are very sensitive to global drivers such as changes in climate, land use and cover. How agroecosystems should achieve sustainability, through optimizing soil capacity to supply ES while limiting the occurrence of threats, is a priority of EU policy agendas. Nevertheless, there is currently a lack of a comprehensive framework of scenario-based approaches to assess changes in soil ES (SES) and soil threats (ST). As a part of the project SERENA funded by the European Joint Program on Agricultural Soil Management, this study aims to: i) understand how drivers of global change are commonly studied in the scientific literature; ii) identify how some SES and ST are assessed in scenario-based approaches; iii) provide a preliminary discussion on how soil properties are represented in these approaches. Through a systematic review of 230 published articles related to seven SES and ten ST, this study highlights that not all SES and ST are considered with the same frequency and geographic distribution in scenario-based approaches. Despite a great methodological variability in the assessment and mapping of SES and ST, dominant methodological trends can be identified. SES are mapped more frequently than ST and, specific SES appear more disposed to spatially explicit assessments than others. Due to its novelty and complexity, research on this topic is limited to a small subset of ST or SES and projections of the combined impacts of climate, land use and management changes on multiple ST and SES should be a scientific priority to help policy makers.

Are visitors, biodiversity or timber production better for nature conservation? Findings from an econometric analysis of the management costs of protected areas in Serbia.

Protected areas (PAs) are designed to provide a wide range of ecosystem services (ES) and to conserve biodiversity, alongside cultural values. Understanding the production processes within PAs is crucial to decipher the relationships between different ES, including primary (timber) production and the provision of public goods, and to assess their degree of 'jointness'. This article models PA management as a joint production activity involving multiple outputs, including biodiversity, recreation, and timber production. Using panel data on management costs from 57 PAs in Serbia (representing 82% of the country's protected area), we estimate a variable cost function, that accounts for potential endogeneity due to unobserved PA-specific heterogeneity. Our results show that increasing species richness and extending strict protection zones leads to additional management costs, but with different elasticities. A 10% increase in species richness outside strict zones increases costs by 4.9%, while within strict zones the increase is 5.77%. Timber production shows diseconomies of scale, suggesting that large-scale timber operations should be limited. Marginal cost estimates show that managing one additional species costs €11.80, one additional visitor costs €0.41 and one additional cubic metre of timber costs €44.43. We find no evidence of jointness between timber production and recreation, but there is competition between timber production and biodiversity. Conversely, biodiversity and recreation show complementarity in terms of protection costs. These findings are consistent with the Serbian PA management approach, which uses a land-sparing principle by spatially separating activities. This zoning strategy facilitates coexistence, allowing biodiversity to support local tourism and benefit from recreational activities.

Emergy-based valuation of glacier ecosystem services: A case from the Tibetan Plateau.

Glaciers provide multiple ecosystem services (ES) to human society. Due to the continued global warming, the valuation of glacier ES is of urgent importance because this knowledge can support the protection of glaciers. However, a systematic valuation of glacier ES is still lacking, particularly from the perspective of ES contributors. In this study, we introduce the concept of emergy to establish a methodological framework for accounting glacier ES values, and take the Tibetan Plateau (TP) as a case study to comprehensively evaluate the spatiotemporal characteristics of glacier ES during the early 21st century. The results show that the total glacier ES values on the TP increased from 2.36E+24 sej/yr in the 2000s to 2.40E+24 sej/yr in the 2010s, with an overall growth rate of 1.6%. The values of the various services in the 2010s are ranked in descending order: climate regulation (1.59E+24 sej/yr, 66.1%), runoff regulation (4.40E+23 sej/yr, 18.4%), hydropower generation (1.88E+23 sej/yr, 7.8%). Significantly higher glacier ES values were recorded in the marginal TP than in the endorheic area. With the exception of climate regulation and carbon sequestration, all other service values increased during the study period, partially cultural services, which have experienced rapid growth in tandem with social development. The results of this study will help establish the methodological basis for the assessment of regional and global glacier ES, as well as a scientific basis for the regional protection of glacier resources.

Can ecosystem services supply match local residents' perception: Linking macro-ESs and micro-individual perceptions in the Yellow River Basin.

Residents' satisfaction perceptions of ecosystem services (ESs) are essential for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin (YRB). Existing studies lacks large-scale survey of local residents' satisfaction perception at urban scale within river basins, and has not effectively explored the matching relationship between the ESs supply and the perceptions of local residents. To address this gap, this study develops a database on nine ESs supply and individual perceptions of the YRB, constructs a comprehensive framework to quantify the matching of ESs supply and local residents' satisfaction perceptions, and proposes targeted strategy. The results reveal that: (1) Provisioning services are higher in cities along the river, while regulating services are higher in the south and west, both showing spatial clustering (p<0.05). Cultural services are unevenly distributed, with higher quality of life and leisure tourism in the east and south. Provisioning and regulating services exhibit a spatial clustering (p<0.05). (2) Residents' perceptions of provisioning services are the highest [3.86, 4.28], followed by cultural services [3.85, 3.98], and regulating services are lowest [3.53, 3.69]. Only provisioning services show significant spatial correlation (p<0.05). (3) There are trade-offs and synergies in the ESs supply, but no significant correlation between the supply and perceptions. (4) A significant mismatch between ESs supply and local residents' perceptions in 15-24 cities, with 33.33%-71.79% of cities showing underestimation or overestimation of ESs supply. These findings provide feasible references for formulating and implementing tailored strategies for coordinated human and nature development.

Green roof performance monitoring: Insights on physical properties of 4 extensive green roof types after 2 years of microclimatic measurements

Green infrastructure elements like green roofs provide a range of ecosystem services to urban areas. Although shallow extensive green roofs contribute less to stormwater retention and microclimatic improvement than other green roof types, they remain the most widely used system in European market. This study aims to establish a basis for optimizing green roof designs by thoroughly examining the differences in the physical characteristics of the roofs as well as their environmental impacts and performances in relation to their properties. Two years of microclimatic monitoring on four green roofs revealed distinctly different behaviors regarding evapotranspiration, substrate moisture, substrate temperature, ground-level air temperature, and heat flux. The performances in evapotranspiration and cooling of ground-level air temperature in summer were clearly related to substrate thickness and water storage capacity of the roofs. Furthermore, differences in rainwater interception and stomatal conductance were quantified among various plant species. The results highlight that green roofs with thick substrates or large water storage capacities, combined with highly transpiring and densely growing plant species are most likely to deliver the ecosystem services needed in cities. The collected data also proofs to be essential for high-precision modeling of green roofs’ microclimatic effects in the context of urban planning.

Urban Expansion-Induced Land Use Land Cover Changes and the Subsequent Changes in Ecosystem Service and Land Surface Temperature in the Central Highland of Ethiopia

Urban Expansion-Induced Land Use Land Cover Changes and the Subsequent Changes in Ecosystem Service and Land Surface Temperature in the Central Highland of Ethiopia

How ecosystem services are co-produced: a critical review identifying multiple research framings

How ecosystem services are co-produced: a critical review identifying multiple research framings

The Ural Owl as a Keystone Species in Interspecific Interactions Among Avian Predators—A Review

Ural owls are one of the largest owls in Europe, exhibiting known aggressive behaviour toward other raptors. They are known to interact with nearly all sympatric owls and many diurnal raptors. To summarise these interactions, a literature search was undertaken in the Web of Sciences and Scopus databases using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology as well principal books on owl biology. The search revealed 22 relevant publications that (along with the book data) described the Ural owl’s relations with seven owls and six diurnal raptor species. The Ural owl is subordinate only to the largest predators like golden eagles and eagles, although only its chicks are known to be killed. Contrary to that, the Ural owls shape the distribution of numerous other species, mostly by strong competition (e.g., forcing tawny owls to breed in suboptimal habitats) or by predation (killing smaller owls and diurnal raptors). Their occurrence could be also protective for some species like boreal owls thanks to the removal of intermediate predators. The relations of Ural owls with goshawks are interesting, which seem to live in some balance—temporal avoidance of activity with frequent co-occurrence. Thanks to their association with old-growth forests and their impact on other predators in their territories, Ural owls act as keystone species in mountainous and boreal forests in Europe. Considering this ecosystem service, Ural owls should be effectively protected e.g., by designing forest-management-free zones around their nesting sites.

Potential for Augmenting Water Yield by Restoring Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) Forests in the Southeastern United States

AbstractOver 95% of original longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) (LLP) forests have been converted to other land uses, including loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L) (LOP), croplands, urban uses during the past two centuries in the southeastern United States (U.S.) for socioeconomic developments. Restoring the LLP forests represents a contemporary forest management objective to improve wildlife habitat, water yield, and overall ecosystem services and resilience to a changing climate. Given the importance of understanding ecohydrological processes for guiding restoration efforts, this study compared evapotranspiration (ET) measurements at eight eddy covariance flux sites dominated by LLP or LOP forests in the southeastern U.S. In addition, we developed a “paired stands” approach to compare remote sensing based ET estimates and associated site biophysical properties for approximately 1,600 LLP‐LOP pairs. We found significant differences in ET, ET/Precipitation ratio, and water yield/precipitation ratio between the two types of pine forests, and these differences are explained by surface properties and management histories. Compared to LOP, the LLP forests generally had lower ET due to their significantly (p &lt; 0.05) lower leaf area index but higher land surface temperature and albedo. Regionally, forest ET differences increased with the increase in atmospheric dryness index (reference ET/precipitation ratio). Therefore, we conclude that large‐scale restoration of LLP forests has the potential to reduce ET and augment water yield in the long run, especially in relatively drier watersheds. Maintaining low stand tree density and understory leaf area characteristic of natural LLP ecosystems through active forest management is critical for enhancing forest water supply. Our study provides the scientific basis for large scale restoration of a diminishing ecosystem for benefiting water resources in the southeastern U.S.

Liberalizing Trade in Environmental Services to Support Environmental Goals

Despite a strong environmental and economic case for facilitating trade in services that serve an environmental purpose, and despite support by influential WTO members, past attempts to negotiate a liberalization of environmental services in a multilateral context have failed. Trade in services related to the environment can contribute to resource efficiency, to spreading technologies for the green transition, to the uptake and investment in environmental goods, and to low carbon development paths. We review the history of negotiations and identify the main problems faced by negotiators: an unclear scope and goal, an inflexible negotiating setup, poor management of sensitivities. We discuss advances in recent agreements such as the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS) and in regional organizations. We conclude by advancing possible solutions for successful negotiations on services related to the environment. A credible political narrative, a sound definition and a consensus on the scope, all aligned with clearly articulated environmental goals, would help to negotiate a list of environmental services in a flexible plurilateral negotiation set-up focused on environmental goals.

A framework to comprehensively assess lake health from a perspective of ecosystem integrity and services

A framework to comprehensively assess lake health from a perspective of ecosystem integrity and services

Correlation between aboveground vegetation composition and soil seed bank of Raudhat desert habitat: a case study of Raudhat Alkhafs, Saudi Arabia

Plant diversity in arid environments is very important for ecosystem function and services. Raudhat habitat is among the most important ecosystems in the arid regions which is characterized by its rich biodiversity and specific environmental conditions. The present study aims to characterize plant communities and soil seed banks of the Raudhat Alkhafs, northeast of Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. Vegetation composition was analyzed during the winter-spring and summer-fall seasons. Soil samples were collected from each site for seed bank analysis through seedling emergence techniques and for chemical and physical analyses. Eighty-three plant species were recorded (50.6% perennial and 49.4% annual plants). Among 30 plant families, Asteraceae, Poaceae, Brassicaceae, Boraginaceae, and Fabaceae were frequent (50.6%). Therophytes are distinguished as major (45.8%) because of their ability to tolerate arid environments, high reproduction rate, ecological flexibility, and genetic plasticity. Vegetation analysis showed three plant communities in the winter-spring season dominated by Plantago ciliata, Calotropis procera, and Heliotropium ramosissimum, while in the summer-fall season, Calotropis procera dominated one community, while two other plant communities were dominated by Heliotropium ramosissimum. During the winter-spring season, Heliotropium ramosissimum community revealed the highest species richness (Simpson index = 0.92) and evenness (Shannon-evenness = 0.83). These variations among the two seasons in the species composition can be ascribed to the climatic conditions. For plant communities identified during the winter-spring season, the soil analysis revealed significant variations in salinity, soil texture, water holding capacity, H2CO3, K, and Na contents. However, the communities identified in the summer-fall season showed significant variations in salinity, soil texture, and Cl, and Mg contents. Regarding the soil seed bank, 22 plant species were identified in the soil samples, mainly annuals. The density of the seed bank ranged from 156 to 1339 seeds/m2. Trigonella stellata Forssk. attained the highest number of seeds in the soil (1628 seeds/m2), followed by Plantago ciliata (1000 seeds/m2) and Poa annua (889 seeds/m2). About 45% of the plant species recorded in the present study were not identified in the soil seed bank earlier in Raudhat Alkhafs. The low correlation between the aboveground vegetation and the soil seed bank of the northern part of the studied region revealed the degradation of the habitat which could be due to overgrazing and anthropogenic activities. Based on the obtained results, the sites of AlKhafs-North need immediate restoration and rehabilitation to conserve this very important biodiversity site.