Ecological Restoration Research Articles

Satisfaction evaluation of ecological restoration in abandoned mines based on the residents’ perception: a case study in Ganzhou, Jiangxi

The ecological restoration of historical abandoned mines has emerged as a prominent issue that has been of great concern to the Chinese government and academia in recent years. In order to enhance the systematic and comprehensive evaluation of ecological restoration efforts in abandoned mines, this study explores and researches a new perspective, i.e. the subjective perception perspective based on residents’ satisfaction, and applies it to the ecological restoration performance evaluation of abandoned mines in Ganzhou, which is the most representative city of mineral resources in the southern hilly and mountainous area. An ecological restoration performance evaluation index system has been developed, encompassing three criteria layers: ecology, economy, and society, as well as twenty indicator layers. In this paper, a combination of Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and importance-performance analysis (IPA) method is proposed to empirically analyze the ecological restoration performance of abandoned mines in the study area. The study revealed that the three counties predominantly prioritized ecological benefits, whereas the satisfaction of residents with social and economic benefits was lacking. Based on the findings, corresponding countermeasures were proposed, offering a fresh perspective and theoretical framework for assessing ecological restoration in abandoned mines.

Contributions of ecological restoration policies to China’s land carbon balance

Unleashing the land sector’s potential for climate mitigation requires purpose-driven changes in land management. However, contributions of past management changes to the current global and regional carbon cycles remain unclear. Here, we use vegetation modelling to reveal how a portfolio of ecological restoration policies has impacted China’s terrestrial carbon balance through developing counterfactual ‘no-policy’ scenarios. Pursuing conventional policies and assuming no changes in climate or atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) since 1980 would have led China’s land sector to be a carbon source of 0.11 Pg C yr−1 for 2001–2020, in stark contrast to a sink of 175.9 Tg C yr−1 in reality. About 72.7% of this difference can be attributed to land management changes, including afforestation and reforestation (49.0%), reduced wood extraction (21.8%), fire prevention and suppression (1.6%) and grassland grazing exclusion (0.3%). The remaining 27.3% come from changes in atmospheric CO2 (42.2%) and climate (−14.9%). Our results underscore the potential of active land management in achieving ‘carbon-neutrality’ in China.

Ecological restoration enhances dryland carbon stock by reducing surface soil carbon loss due to wind erosion

Enhancing terrestrial carbon (C) stock through ecological restoration, one of the prominent approaches for natural climate solutions, is conventionally considered to be achieved through an ecological pathway, i.e., increased plant C uptake. By conducting a comprehensive regional survey of 4279 1 × 1 m 2 plots at 517 sites across China’s drylands and a 13-y manipulative experiment in a semiarid grassland within the same region, we show that greater soil and ecosystem C stocks in restored than degraded lands result predominantly from decreased surface soil C loss via suppressed wind erosion. This biophysical pathway is always overlooked in model evaluation of land-based C mitigation strategies. Surprisingly, stimulated plant growth plays a minor role in regulating C stocks under ecological restoration. In addition, the overall enhancement of C stocks in the restored lands increases with both initial degradation intensity and restoration duration. At the national scale, the rate of soil C accumulation (7.87 Tg C y −1 ) due to reduced wind erosion and surface soil C loss under dryland restoration is equal to 38.8% of afforestation and 56.2% of forest protection in China. Incorporating this unique but largely missed biophysical C-conserving mechanism into land surface models will greatly improve global assessments of the potential of land restoration for mitigating climate change.

Sustainable restoration: addressing critical challenges through university‐led projects

The urgency to restore ecosystems amid climate change and biodiversity loss has led to widespread engagement in habitat restoration projects. However, many projects fall short of their goals, highlighting the need for innovation. We use a case study at our university to explore how the integration of habitat restoration into university curricula might address some of the major challenges to long‐term restoration success. We demonstrate how integration with university activities could help address three key challenges in restoration: insufficient planning and monitoring, limited community engagement, and lack of long‐term funding. Our approach demonstrates how involving students and faculty in restoration projects can enhance adaptive management by including these efforts in science curricula, foster community participation through volunteer engagement, and reduce costs through volunteer efforts and collaboration with campus entities. These findings suggest that universities can play a vital role in advancing ecological restoration, benefiting both society and the environment.

An Evaluation Study on the Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Water Ecological Security in the Hotan River Basin

With the intensification of global climate change, inland river basins in arid desert regions are facing serious challenges in water supply and ecological and environmental protection. A water ecological security assessment is important as a key management tool in the context of inland river basins situated in arid desert areas. This study evaluated the water ecological security of the Hotan River Basin based on a combination of the Ecology–Produce–Life Space perspective and the Drive–Pressure–Status–Influence–Respond (DPSIR) model. The entropy value method and the composite index method were employed for this purpose, and a regression analysis was used to establish a prediction model to forecast the future water ecological security status. The results show that from 2013 to 2020, the water ecological security status of the Hotan River Basin exhibited a fluctuating upward trend, shifting from an average to a good status. The pressure layer has the greatest impact on water ecological security, while the ecological space within the Ecology–Produce–Life Space is increasing in the overall share year by year. In the future, the water ecological safety condition of the Hotan River Basin is expected to improve and remain in good condition. Taking the Hotan River Basin as an example, the results of this study, combining the Ecology–Produce–Life Space perspectives and the DPSIR model, provide in-depth theoretical and practical value for the evaluation and prediction of water ecological security in inland river basins in arid desert areas, provide a scientific basis and feasible suggestions for relevant decision-making, and emphasize the importance of ecological spatial protection and restoration for the sustainable development of human society and ecosystems.

How Can Storytelling Help Restore Mires? Applying Place-lore Fieldwork Methodology in Ecological Restoration

ABSTRACT As ecological restoration changes the landscape and influences various social and ecological actors, restoration also needs to seek methodologies that integrate different kinds of knowledge and create multi-voiced discussions. We show how studying local environment-related narratives, i.e. place-lore, can be adopted in restoration activities. We argue that as place-lore expresses relationships between people and environment and such stories involve semiotic meanings from the environment, they have a great potential to motivate authentic and diverse discussions in restoration. As an example, we focus on wetland restoration and discuss the experience from the LIFE Mires Estonia (2015–2021) project where place-lore fieldwork was integrated with other restoration activities. Results from the project indicated how integrating the study of place-lore into restoration activities facilitates collecting various kinds of valuable data, addressing different stakeholders’ concerns, detecting possible conflicts, and, most importantly, empowers environmental relations and knowledge that benefit restoration outcomes. KEY POLICY HIGHLIGHTS Enabling different, even conflicting viewpoints around ecological restoration is crucial, to prevent closed, hermetic, or dogmatizing communication. Restoration discussions need to be open to methodologies that focus on small-scale local narratives because the ecological expertise that these kinds of narratives express can directly benefit restoration outcomes. Place-lore fieldwork serves as a participatory method that allows for more inclusive and diverse dialogues between restoration experts and people influenced by restoration.

Circular Economy and Chemical Conversion for Polyester Wastes.

Polyester waste in the environment threatens public health and environmental ecosystems. Chemical recycling of polyester waste offers a dual solution to ensure resource sustainability and ecological restoration. This minireview highlights the traditional recycling methods and novel recycling strategies of polyester plastics. The conventional strategy includes pyrolysis, carbonation, and solvolysis of polyesters for degradation and recycling. Furthermore, the review delves into exploring emerging technologies including hydrogenolysis, electrocatalysis, photothermal, photoreforming, and enzymatic for upcycling polyesters. It emphasizes the selectivity of products during the polyester conversion process and elucidates conversion pathways. More importantly, the separation and purification of the products, the life cycle assessment, and the economic analysis of the overall recycling process are essential for evaluating the environmental and economic viability of chemical recycling of waste polyester plastics. Finally, the review offers perspective into the future challenges and developments of chemical recycling in the polyester economy.

Study on the Evolutionary Characteristics of Post-Fire Forest Recovery Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imagery and Deep Learning: A Case Study of Jinyun Mountain in Chongqing, China

Forest fires pose a significant threat to forest ecosystems, with severe impacts on both the environment and human society. Understanding the post-fire recovery processes of forests is crucial for developing strategies for species diversity conservation and ecological restoration and preventing further damage. The present study proposes applying the EAswin-Mask2former model based on semantic segmentation in deep learning using visible light band data to better monitor the evolution of burn areas in forests after fires. This model is an improvement of the classical semantic segmentation model Mask2former and can better adapt to the complex environment of burned forest areas. This model employs Swin-Transformer as the backbone for feature extraction, which is particularly advantageous for processing high-resolution images. It also includes the Contextual Transformer (CoT) Block to better capture contextual information capture and incorporates the Efficient Multi-Scale Attention (EMA) Block into the Efficiently Adaptive (EA) Block to enhance the model’s ability to learn key features and long-range dependencies. The experimental results demonstrate that the EAswin-Mask2former model can achieve a mean Intersection-over-Union (mIoU) of 76.35% in segmenting complex forest burn areas across different seasons, representing improvements of 3.26 and 0.58 percentage points, respectively, over the Mask2former models using ResNet and Swin-Transformer backbones, respectively. Moreover, this method surpasses the performance of the DeepLabV3+ and Segformer models by 4.04 and 1.75 percentage points, respectively. Ultimately, the proposed model offers excellent segmentation performance for both forest and burn areas and can effectively track the evolution of burned forests when combined with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing images.

Using Earth observation to support the predictive accuracy of species distribution models in ecological restoration: a case study of Poland beavers (Castor fiber)

Abstract. The ability of Earth observation and remote sensing to identify the potential of species to restore ecosystems is a critical element in combating habitat degradation and biodiversity loss. Historical climate data and current species occurrence, coupled with geospatial modelling methods, can significantly aid in decision-making to support ecosystem restoration. We chose Eurasian beavers (spp. Castor fiber) as our case species, which are known ecosystem engineers that create wetland habitats and significantly alter/reinforce the morphology, dynamics, and hydraulics of riverine landscapes. To investigate their ecosystem restoration potential, we applied species distribution modelling (SDM) to determine their current and future distribution scenarios. Our SDMs used current and simulated future environmental data along with different classes of rasters such as elevation, inland swamps, water bodies, natural seasonally or permanently wet grasslands, open mires, riparian mixed forests, riparian swamp broadleaved forests, riparian swamp coniferous forests, watercourses, protected areas, and urban and built-up areas derived from Google Earth Engine to predict areas suitable for beaver habitats. Further, by using the zonation method, we were able to develop a stepping stone model to prioritize habitat conservation efforts. We provide habitat projections according to time periods of "2041–2060", "2061–2080" and "2081–2100", and to different climate change scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585). Thus, using a potential nature-based solution, we have employed remote sensing data and tools to develop a holistic framework for not only quantifying the ecosystem restoration potential of beavers but will also provide a new direction for understanding species-specific importance in climate change mitigation.

Assessment of land restoration from optical satellite image time-series

Abstract. Ecosystem conservation and restoration is recognized by the international community as a key strategy for human well-being as well as our planet’s health. Assessing the efficiency of actions implemented in this context is essential, as their application on the ground may prove challenging. In the present paper, we present a methodology for characterising vegetation regeneration. This methodology has been developed and tested at the scale of the Sao Paulo state. It is based on two successive steps. Firstly, annual land cover maps are produced with breakpoints detection and Random Forest classification. This process is performed on biophysical variables derived from more than 10 000 optical images (2016 – 2021 included) and 4774 reference data. Secondly, we applied an expert-based rules algorithm to derive land regeneration map from annual land cover time series. The distinction is made between natural and anthropogenic regeneration. The accuracy assessment shows an overall accuracy of more than 80% for both the annual land cover maps and the regeneration map.

The influence of tree species on small scale spatial soil properties and microbial activities in a mixed bamboo and broad-leaved forest

Soil enzyme activity and microbial biomass play a critical role in myriad ecological processes. Bamboo and broad-leaved mixed forests have received widespread attention as important forestry models for ecological restoration and sustainable development; however, our understanding the influences of broad-leaved tree species in mixed bamboo forests on soil properties and microbial activity remains unclear. Here we sampled twenty-seven spatially interspersed stands of bamboo-Castanopsis chinensis Hance mixed forest (CCB), bamboo-Alniphyllum fortune (Hemsl.) Makino mixed forest (AFB), and bamboo-Choerospondias axillaris mixed forest (CAB), with different mixing ratios (0–10 %, 10–20 %, 20–40 % canopy proportions) in subtropical China, to examine the effects of tree species and mixed ratio on soil nutrients, microbial biomass, and enzyme activity. We found that the different forests exhibited variations in soil nutrient levels. CAB forests exhibit notably higher mean C, N, and P contents than AFB and CCB, particularly at a 10–20 % mixing ratio where SOC concentration reached 46.50 g/kg. CAB forests demonstrated significantly higher activities of invertase (mean 701.83U/g), urease (8393.44U/g), and catalase (501.73U/g) compared to AFB and CCB forests, with peak enzyme activities observed at a 10–20 % mixing ratio. Soil microbial biomass C and N were notably greater in CAB and CCB forests than in AFB forests. CAB forests also exhibited the highest soil microbial biomass P (mean 48.68 mg/kg), which rose consistently with an increased mixing ratio. Multiple factor analysis revealed that the enzyme activities were significantly correlated with the annual growth of fine roots in the forest and were positively correlated with resident C, total N, total P, C: N, and C: P. Overall, the results provide insights into the importance of tree species and crown size in bamboo and broadleaved tree mixed forest in soil features and the microbial activity while providing management guidance for the selection of mixed tree species for sustainable management of bamboo forest soil microenvironment.

An integrated framework for habitat restoration in fire-prone areas. Part 2 – fire hazard assessment of the different land management scenarios

An integrated framework for habitat restoration in fire-prone areas. Part 2 – fire hazard assessment of the different land management scenarios

The Regional Scale of Landscape Planning: the Possibilities for Measuring the Effectiveness of Nature-Based Solutions

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the measurement of landscape integrity based on ecological support processes in the Federal District, with the aim of defining a multi-scalar and multi-functional Regional Green Infrastructure Network (IVR) based on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). Theoretical Framework: This topic presents the main concepts and theories that underpin the research. Landscape Ecology, Restoration Ecology, Green Infrastructure and Geodesign stand out, providing a solid basis for understanding the research context. Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises the analysis of ecological support processes in the landscape, using the multispectral “CO2flux” index, related to the photosynthetic efficiency of vegetation and a proxy for energy, carbon and biomass inputs, which, together with the “Topographic Wetness Index”, related to the flow and accumulation of water and sediment in the landscape, provided the basis for the elaboration of a Geodesign process. Data was collected using multispectral satellite scenes - “Landsat 8”, collected during the dry season. Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed the design of a mosaic of “hotspots”, corridors and patches that consolidates and intensifies carbon flows in the Federal District's landscape, with positive impacts on territorial resilience. In the discussion section, these results are contextualized in the light of the theoretical framework, highlighting the implications and relationships identified. Possible discrepancies and limitations of the study are also considered in this section. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research are discussed, providing “insights” into how the results can be applied, or how to influence practices in the field of landscape planning. These implications can cover the design of Nature-Based Solutions at a regional scale, climate mitigation and adaptation actions for territories, and people's access to ecosystem services. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by proposing the design of a regional network of green infrastructures based on the analysis of the flow of ecological support processes in the landscape, considering different demands and goals for environmental recovery. The relevance and value of this research is evidenced by the possibility of planning and designing mosaics in the landscape based on the identification of networks with greater potential for the provision of ecosystem services and, consequently, for the adaptation and mitigation of territories to climate impacts and those resulting from human occupation.

Development of Highway Construction Route Selection Based on Ecological Sensitivity Evaluation and Intervention Optimization Strategy Research

Ecological sensitivity is an essential indicator for measuring the degree of ecological fragility of a region, and traditional highway routing ignores the ecological benefits of regional nature, which causes irreversible impacts on the natural environment. Based on the AHP method, this paper carries out a comprehensive assessment of the ecological sensitivity of the K0+000~K56+438 section of the Guanzhuang Tourist Highway in the Zhangjiajie Wuling Mountain Area from 2000 to 2020, and it utilizes the spatial autocorrelation analysis method to reveal the pattern of its spatial and temporal changes in ecological sensitivity. The following results were obtained. (1) The ecological condition of the study area is gradually improving, and the areas with higher sensitivity are mainly distributed in the northeast and southwest of the study area. (2) The ecological sensitivity of the study area has strong spatial autocorrelation, but the autocorrelation has been reduced in recent years, and the distribution of the ecological sensitivity has been gradually discretized. (3) There are problems of high ecological risk and construction difficulty in the traditional highway route selection scheme of the A line. The optimized route selection scheme, the K line, can effectively avoid highly sensitive areas by adjusting the route and bridge settings. Finally, the article proposes engineering construction suitability and ecological restoration strategies for different road sections regarding vegetation cover, landscape risk, and geological hazards. This study establishes a set of comprehensive technical chains for tourism highway routing in ecologically fragile areas based on the spatial and temporal evolution of sensitivity, which provides new ideas for traditional highway routing and is of great significance for maintaining the balance and stability of ecosystems within the road area.

Reintroduction of native species in an ecological restoration program from a quartzite area of campos rupestres

Reintroduction of native species in an ecological restoration program from a quartzite area of campos rupestres

How Does the Three‐North Shelterbelt Engineering of China Improve Its Habitat Quality? A Study of 40 Years of Change Tracking and Driving Factors

ABSTRACTThe Three‐North Shelterbelt Engineering of China (TNSEC) is a large‐scale ecological restoration project that was initiated in 1978 to enhance the ecological environment of the Three‐North Shelterbelt Engineering Region (TNSER). However, the macro long‐term data and driving mechanisms behind habitat quality in the TNSER remain inadequately understood. Therefore, multi‐source observational data, the InVEST model, and spatial analysis techniques were employed to quantify the spatiotemporal evolution of habitat quality in the TNSER since 1980. Additionally, the Optimal Parameters‐based Geographical Detector (OPGD) model was utilized to quantitatively elucidate the driving mechanisms behind changes in habitat quality. The habitat quality of TNSER has remained stable from 1980 to 2020, exhibiting significant spatial agglomeration characteristics. Areas with higher habitat quality are demonstrating a trend of expansion, while regions with poor habitat quality are experiencing fragmentation and expansion. It is anticipated that the habitat quality of TNSER will continue to remain stable in the future; however, areas with poor habitat quality and their adjacent zones are showing signs of deterioration. Changes in habitat quality within TNSER are influenced by multiple factors, primarily socio‐economic factors in nature, with GDP accounting for 55% of the variations in habitat quality. This study offers valuable recommendations for policymakers from a sustainable development perspective, highlighting the critical role of large‐scale ecological projects in enhancing environmental quality amidst ongoing ecological challenges.

Evolving road networks and urban landscape transformation in the Himalayan foothills, India.

The amalgamation of Himalayan and Indo-Burmese biodiversity has made the state of Manipur, India, a unique ecosystem. In addition, the region is a strategic place for the country to establish an economic corridor to Southeast Asia. In recent times, the region has witnessed tremendous infrastructural/road development. Subsequently, forest fragmentation related to urbanization and road expansion has emerged in the Himalayan foothills. The development of roads brought rapid changes in land use and land cover (LULC) and thus subsequent environmental degradation. The current study attempts to understand how the development of road networks has impacted the natural cover in Manipur, India. A spatio-temporal analysis was performed to assess the relationship between the development of road networks and LULC changes using the Landsat satellite images over a decade (2012-2022). The results showed significant changes in the area coverage of LULC categories such as agricultural land, built-up areas, forest, and water bodies with the increase in road density. To have a holistic view, the study area was segregated into three functional zones based on their urban land use pattern, i.e., urban center, peri-urban, and urban peripheral fringes. Urban sprawl in the urban center has led to the rapid conversion of forested lands into built-up areas and agricultural lands in the peri-urban and urban peripheral fringes, respectively. The decline of forest areas to urbanization in peri-urban and urban peripheral fringes calls for conservation and restoration initiatives. The study also emphasizes how different stakeholders can be involved and empowered to strengthen public-private partnerships for conservation and restoration in such sensitive ecosystems. Urban planners and developers should be critical in making informed decisions through understanding ecological concerns in tandem with infrastructural development.

Strategi Komunikasi Lingkungan Ekowisata Taman Mangrove Jung Koneng Bangkalan untuk Rehabilitasi

Examining the environmental communication strategy implemented by the Payung Kuning Tourism Awareness Group as the manager of the Jung Koneng Mangrove Park in Labuhan Village, Ten District, Bangkalan. Starting from damage to the coastal environment due to the behavior of people who do not care about the sustainability of the mangrove ecosystem, as well as uncontrolled piles of rubbish, resulting in a significant decline in environmental quality. Using descriptive qualitative methods, researchers identified strategic steps in environmental communication which were grouped into four main stages, namely situation analysis, planning, media production, and action and reflection. At the situation analysis stage, Pokdarwis identified the environmental problems faced and the actors involved in mangrove rehabilitation. The planning stage involves developing a communication strategy based on local conditions, collaboration with external parties, and the use of traditional and digital media. In the media production stage, various communication channels such as social media, face-to-face discussions, and visual learning media are used to convey educational messages. The final stage, action and reflection, focuses on implementing rehabilitation activities and evaluating the impact of the communication strategies that have been implemented. Community participation not only contributes to the successful rehabilitation of the mangrove ecosystem, but also increases the community's social and economic awareness regarding ecotourism potential. Keywords: environmental communication strategy, mangrove, ecotourism, education, Jung Koneng Mangrove Park

Vegetation Restoration Enhanced Canopy Interception and Soil Evaporation but Constrained Transpiration in Hekou–Longmen Section During 2000–2018

The quantitative assessment of the impact of vegetation restoration on evapotranspiration and its components is of great significance in developing sustainable ecological restoration strategies for water resources in a given region. In this study, we used the Priestley-Taylor Jet Pro-pulsion Laboratory (PT-JPL) to simulate the ET components in the Helong section (HLS) of the Yellow River basin. The effects of vegetation restoration on ET and its components, vegetation transpiration (Et), soil evaporation (Es), and canopy interception evaporation (Ei) were separated by manipulating model variables. Our findings are as follows: (1) The simulation results are compared with the ET calculated by water balance and the annual average ET of MODIS products. The R2 of the validation results are 0.61 and 0.78, respectively. The results show that the PT-JPL model tracks the change in ET in the HLS well. During 2000–2018, the ET, Ei, and Es increased at a rate of 1.33, 0.87, and 2.99 mm/a, respectively, while the Et decreased at a rate of 2.52 mm/a. (2) Vegetation restoration increased the annual ET in the region from 331.26 mm (vegetation-unchanged scenario) to 338.85 mm (vegetation change scenario) during the study period, an increase of 2.3%. (3) TMP (temperature) and VPD (vapor pressure deficit) were the dominant factors affecting ET changes in most areas of the HLS. In more than 37.2% of the HLS, TMP dominated the change affecting ET, and vapor pressure difference (VPD) dominated the area affecting ET in 30.5% of the HLS. Overall, the precipitation (PRE) and VPD were the main factors affecting ET changes. Compared with previous studies that directly explore the relationship between many influencing factors and ET results through correlation research methods, our study uses control variables to obtain results under two different scenarios and then performs difference analysis. This method can reduce the excessive interference of influencing factors other than vegetation changes on the research results. Our findings can provide strategic support for future water resource management and sustainable vegetation restoration in the HLS region.

Transcriptional Profiling Analysis Providing Insights into the Harsh Environments Tolerance Mechanisms of Krascheninnikovia arborescens

Krascheninnikovia arborescens, an endemic shrub in China, thrives in desertification-prone environments due to its robust biomass, hairy leaves, and extensive root system. It is vital for ecological restoration and serves as a valuable forage plant. This study explored the molecular mechanisms underlying K. arborescens’ adaptation to desert conditions, focusing on its physiological, biochemical, and transcriptomic responses to drought, salt, and alkali stresses. The results revealed that the three stresses have significant impacts on the photosynthetic, antioxidant, and ion balance systems of the plants, with the alkali stress inducing the most pronounced changes and differential gene expression. The clustering and functional enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) highlighted the enrichment of the induced genes in pathways related to plant hormone signaling, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and transcription factors following stress treatments. In these pathways, the synthesis and signal transduction of abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene, as well as the flavonoid and lignin synthesis pathways, and transcription factors such as MYB, AP2/ERF, bHLH, NAC, and WRKY responded actively to the stress and played pivotal roles. Through the WGCNA analysis, 10 key modules were identified, with the yellow module demonstrating a high correlation with the ABA and anthocyanin contents, while the turquoise module was enriched in the majority of genes related to hormone and phenylpropanoid pathways. The analysis of hub genes in these modules highlighted the significant roles of the bHLH and MYB transcription factors. These findings could offer new insights into the molecular mechanisms that enable the adaptation of K. arborescens to desert environments, enhancing our understanding of how other desert plants adapt to harsh conditions. These insights are crucial for exploring and utilizing high-quality forage plant germplasm resources and ecological development, with the identified candidate genes serving as valuable targets for further research on stress-resistant genes.