Water-limited dryland ecosystems cover ~40% of the earth surface, host major centers of global plant diversity, support over one-third of the global human population - mainly in the developing countries - and represent a major uncertainty in the global carbon cycle. Many drylands are in transition zones that are vulnerable to future global change, such as drought and land degradation. However, consequences on global carbon and water budgets, ecosystem services, and sustainable livelihoods are still mostly unclear. In this session we seek to: i) highlight advances in our understanding of hydrological, biogeochemical, and ecological processes in water-limited environments; ii) investigate or predict the response of dryland ecosystems to changing climate, rising CO₂, and different land use and management practices; and iii) provide perspectives on needs and directions for future research and environmental policy-making. Contributions from both modeling and experimental studies across a range of spatial and temporal scales are welcome.

• GC - Global Environmental Change
• H - Hydrology

• CGU: Canadian Geophysical Union -
• ESA: Ecological Society of America -
• EGU: European Geosciences Union -
• SSSA: Soil Science Society of America -