Full Text:
Drylands evoke images of desolate, scorched, uninhabitable deserts. But arid and semi-arid lands are complex ecosystems made up of grasses, shrubs, agricultural fields and urban-dwelling plants and animals, including us. Pictured here, the Organ Mountains are a backdrop for the Chihuahuan Desert and encroaching city of Las Cruces, N.
M. Globally, drylands are becoming mosaics that need fresh perspectives and explanations for ecosystem processes — views that go beyond traditional paradigms of grassland-to-shrubland conversion, researchers say.Image credit: Curtis Monger, New Mexico State University
