Conservation Biodiversity in Arid Areas: A Review

Drylands cover a vast area, and biodiversity conservation in these regions represents a major challenge. A bibliometric study of published research highlighted several key aspects, including publication types, research fields, years of publication, contributing countries, institutions, languages, journals, publishers, authors, and frequently used keywords. The analysis also included plants related to biodiversity conservation in arid areas, animals related to biodiversity conservation in arid areas, and causes of biodiversity decline in arid regions, effects of biodiversity loss in these regions, and restoration methods aimed at improving biodiversity conservation in arid areas. A total of 947 publications were identified, starting from 1994, authored by researchers from 99 countries, primarily from Australia, the USA, China, Spain, and South Africa, and published in 345 journals, with the most prominent being Journal of Arid Environments, Biodiversity and Conservation, and Biological Conservation. The most commonly appearing keywords included biodiversity, conservation, diversity, vegetation, and patterns, with recent years showing an increased use of terms related to the causes and effects of aridification: climate change, land use, and ecosystem services. The causes of biodiversity loss in drylands are primarily linked to human activities and climatic changes, while the effects impact the entire ecosystem. Methods to improve biodiversity include traditional agroforestry systems, tree plantations and other plant species, grazing management, and other approaches. Combined actions among stakeholders and ecologically appropriate nature-based solutions are also recommended. Improvements in conservation biodiversity in arid areas are very important also for achieving the sustainability goals in these areas. However, numerous aspects of this topic remain to be studied in greater detail.