Rehabilitation of degraded rangelands in Jordan: The effects of mechanized micro water harvesting on hill-slope scale soil water and vegetation dynamics

Overexploitation and climate change accelerate the degradation of Jordan's arid rangelands. Uncovered crusted soils increase runoff erosion hinder emergence native vegetation. Micro water harvesting combined with shrub-seedling plantation have been widely applied to reverse land trends. However, consequential soil vegetation dynamics rarely assessed, which constrains further out-scaling rehabilitation practice complex environments. In Jordan, an experiment was set up study linkages between local rainfall characteristics, moisture development out-planted shrub-seedlings. Soil recorded at approximately weekly time-interval during rainy dry season 2017/2018 using a manually operated sensor. Transect monitoring pursued down slope across four micro pits interspaces. Data confirmed significant inside - bridging intra-seasonal spells potentially deep-percolated into karstic bedrock underneath. The found that shrubs' stem diameter height predominantly increased post season, when interspaces dried while continued providing moisture. results are promising contribute integrated research towards halting sustainable agro-pastoral development.