6
Such accelerated changes in dryland use can introduce new dynamics in SES and in
the transitions between stable and unstable SES states (Huber-Sannwald et al. 2012;
Bestelmeyer et al. 2015). A state is characterized by certain vegetation and soil types
and ecosystem processes (Bestelmeyer et al. 2015), which supplies a set of ecosystem
goods and services in accordance to human demand (Yahdjian et al. 2015). Inherent
and new sources of disturbances may cause changes of SES states; these changes can
be abrupt, gradual, reversible, or persistent. Hence, unpredictable trends of change will
be accompanied by new challenges related to understanding the combined and interacting effects of historic land use change, climate variability, alterations in the functioning
of dryland SES, and their resilience and ability to deliver future ecosystem services
(Folke et al. 2009, 2010). While extended droughts and increased variability in precipitation directly exacerbate socio-environmental degradation in drylands (Puigdefábregas
1998; Stott 2016), indirect policy-induced desertification also occurs (Geist and
Lambin 2004; Adams 2009; Davis 2016b; Huaico Malhue et al. 2018).
Scholars have long debated on how to better manage the inherent variability of
drylands to improve human living conditions. Such engineering approaches are
grounded on the premise that one can reduce the inherent variability of drylands by
adopting agricultural practices that have been successful where water availability is
more predictable. A prominent example is crop irrigation, for instance, in the Yaqui
valley in Mexico; this desert area has been the cradle of the Green revolution and the
worldwide leader in wheat producer (Matson 2012). Environmental uniformity and
stability, and the removal of redundancy may guarantee short-term high crop yields
and temporarily increase food security, yet at the cost of irreversible loss of biotic and
cultural diversity (Holling and Meffe 1996; Safriel et al. 2005; Walker and Salt 2006)
along with trade-offs on sustaining ecosystem services (Papanastasis et al. 2017).
Human interventions intended to achieve sustainable development, as defined in
the UN Sustainable Development Goals (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/), no longer require investment in maximizing
commodity production, but rather in diversifying protections afforded to the biota,
cultures, and knowledge systems in order to increase the response and adaptation
spectra to regional or global socio-environmental change (Chapin III et al. 2009a).
This increases the system buffering capacity against unpredictable change (HuberSannwald et al. 2012). The role of traditional ecological knowledge in understanding SES is crucial to understand how some local communities have sustained
resilient landscapes, but also for the successful stewardship of diverse SES where
the division between nature and society is bridged and true ethical multisectoral
collaborations are accomplished (Johnson et al. 2016).
Desertification and Land Degradation Versus Drylands
Resilience
According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD
1994) desertification refers to land degradation in drylands due to various factors,
including climatic variations and/or human activities (Article 1 of the UNCCD). The
E. Huber-Sannwald et al.
Such accelerated changes in dryland use can introduce new dynamics in SES and in
the transitions between stable and unstable SES states (Huber-Sannwald et al. 2012;
Bestelmeyer et al. 2015). A state is characterized by certain vegetation and soil types
and ecosystem processes (Bestelmeyer et al. 2015), which supplies a set of ecosystem
goods and services in accordance to human demand (Yahdjian et al. 2015). Inherent
and new sources of disturbances may cause changes of SES states; these changes can
be abrupt, gradual, reversible, or persistent. Hence, unpredictable trends of change will
be accompanied by new challenges related to understanding the combined and interacting effects of historic land use change, climate variability, alterations in the functioning
of dryland SES, and their resilience and ability to deliver future ecosystem services
(Folke et al. 2009, 2010). While extended droughts and increased variability in precipitation directly exacerbate socio-environmental degradation in drylands (Puigdefábregas
1998; Stott 2016), indirect policy-induced desertification also occurs (Geist and
Lambin 2004; Adams 2009; Davis 2016b; Huaico Malhue et al. 2018).
Scholars have long debated on how to better manage the inherent variability of
drylands to improve human living conditions. Such engineering approaches are
grounded on the premise that one can reduce the inherent variability of drylands by
adopting agricultural practices that have been successful where water availability is
more predictable. A prominent example is crop irrigation, for instance, in the Yaqui
valley in Mexico; this desert area has been the cradle of the Green revolution and the
worldwide leader in wheat producer (Matson 2012). Environmental uniformity and
stability, and the removal of redundancy may guarantee short-term high crop yields
and temporarily increase food security, yet at the cost of irreversible loss of biotic and
cultural diversity (Holling and Meffe 1996; Safriel et al. 2005; Walker and Salt 2006)
along with trade-offs on sustaining ecosystem services (Papanastasis et al. 2017).
Human interventions intended to achieve sustainable development, as defined in
the UN Sustainable Development Goals (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/), no longer require investment in maximizing
commodity production, but rather in diversifying protections afforded to the biota,
cultures, and knowledge systems in order to increase the response and adaptation
spectra to regional or global socio-environmental change (Chapin III et al. 2009a).
This increases the system buffering capacity against unpredictable change (HuberSannwald et al. 2012). The role of traditional ecological knowledge in understanding SES is crucial to understand how some local communities have sustained
resilient landscapes, but also for the successful stewardship of diverse SES where
the division between nature and society is bridged and true ethical multisectoral
collaborations are accomplished (Johnson et al. 2016).
Desertification and Land Degradation Versus Drylands
Resilience
According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD
1994) desertification refers to land degradation in drylands due to various factors,
including climatic variations and/or human activities (Article 1 of the UNCCD). The
E. Huber-Sannwald et al.