New methodological approach to characterize dryland´s ecohydrological functionality on the basis of Balance between Connectivity and potential Water Retention Capacity (BalanCR)

Abstract Drylands are ecohydrologically-coupled ecosystems whose functioning depends on the interplay between hydrological connectivity runoff source areas and capacity of vegetation to retain water fluxes associated resources. In this study we present a new easily applicable methodology for ecohydrological characterization dryland ecosystem grounded in balance these two strongly interrelated processes using obtainable remote sensing data (e.g. UAV SENTINEL-2 images), BalanCR method (Balance Connectivity potential Water Retention Capacity). This was first tested synthetic hillslopes representing different configurations patchy heterogenic distribution drylands. The analysis spatial patterns involving patch densities, sizes, fractional coverage values showed that properly characterizes expected interactions conditions retention by plants operating second step, applied four semiarid along an altitudinal aridity gradient covered Mediterranean alpha steppes at very detailed resolution (0.2 m) medium (10 m). obtained results were validated based soil moisture greening clearly recognized sites as functional ecosystems, with low resource losses, pattern increasing redistribution declines. However, sensitivity input (vegetation map Digital Elevation Model; DEM), positive effect small structures patches smaller than pixel size) is underestimated. Even case, functionality analyzed correctly characterized similar both components BalanC (hydrological component) BalanR (potential those scale, allocation response increased aridity. Thus, proposed metric represents promising tool proper evaluation incorporate hillslope climate change models, which one main gaps better understand drylands upon ongoing change.