Groundwater-dependent ecosystem map exposes global dryland protection needs

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Rohde, Melissa M.; Albano, Christine M.; Huggins, Xander; Klausmeyer, Kirk R.; Morton, Charles; Sharman, Ali; Zaveri, Esha; Saito, Laurel; Freed, Zach; Howard, Jeanette K.; Job, Nancy; Richter, Holly; Toderich, Kristina; Rodella, Aude-Sophie; Gleeson, Tom; Huntington, Justin; Chandanpurkar, Hrishikesh A.; Purdy, Adam J.; Famiglietti, James S.; Singer, Michael Bliss; Roberts, Dar A.; Caylor, Kelly; Stella, John C.
• 署名单位: Nature Conservancy; State University of New York (SUNY) System; State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science & Forestry; Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE); Desert Research Institute NSHE; University of Victoria; University of Saskatchewan; Global Institute for Water Security; International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA); The World Bank; Nature Conservancy; Nature Conservancy; South African National Biodiversity Institute; Tottori University; Mie University; University of Victoria; California State University System; California State University Monterey Bay; University of Saskatchewan; Arizona State University; Arizona State University-Tempe; Cardiff University; Cardiff University; University of California System; University of California Santa Barbara; University of California System; University of California Santa Barbara
• 刊物名称: Nature
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0028-5449
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07702-8
• 发表日期: 2024-08-01
• 关键词: difference water index; cloud shadow; functional methodology; snow detection; vegetation; climate; CLASSIFICATION; satellite; depletion; CONFLICT

摘要

Groundwater is the most ubiquitous source of liquid freshwater globally, yet its role in supporting diverse ecosystems is rarely acknowledged1,2. However, the location and extent of groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) are unknown in many geographies, and protection measures are lacking1,3. Here, we map GDEs at high-resolution (roughly 30 m) and find them present on more than one-third of global drylands analysed, including important global biodiversity hotspots4. GDEs are more extensive and contiguous in landscapes dominated by pastoralism with lower rates of groundwater depletion, suggesting that many GDEs are likely to have already been lost due to water and land use practices. Nevertheless, 53% of GDEs exist within regions showing declining groundwater trends, which highlights the urgent need to protect GDEs from the threat of groundwater depletion. However, we found that only 21% of GDEs exist on protected lands or in jurisdictions with sustainable groundwater management policies, invoking a call to action to protect these vital ecosystems. Furthermore, we examine the linkage of GDEs with cultural and socio-economic factors in the Greater Sahel region, where GDEs play an essential role in supporting biodiversity and rural livelihoods, to explore other means for protection of GDEs in politically unstable regions. Our GDE map provides critical information for prioritizing and developing policies and protection mechanisms across various local, regional or international scales to safeguard these important ecosystems and the societies dependent on them. Mapping of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, which support biodiversity and rural livelihoods, shows they occur on more than one-third of global drylands analysed, but lack protections to safeguard these critical ecosystems and the societies dependent upon them from groundwater depletion.