The Current Extent and Recent Loss of Dryland Forest Ecosystems

Land-cover change is regarded as the most important global change affecting ecological systems (Vitousek, 1994). Natural landscapes – i.e. those largely unaffected or hardly affected by human activities – are being rapidly transformed into urban and farmland landscapes throughout the world (Foley et al., 2005; Feranec et al., 2010; López and Sierra, 2010). As the characteristics of land-cover have important impacts on climate, biogeochemistry, hydrology, species diversity, and the well-being of human societies, land-cover change has been identified as a high priority for research and to inform the development of strategies for sustainable management (Turner et al., 1993; Ojima et al., 1994; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005a). In recent years, special attention has been given to land-use changes and degradation in drylands. Dryland forests are highly prone to degradation and desertification on account of their limited primary productivity and slow recovery following human disturbance (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005b), yet these ecosystems play a crucial role in providing services such as climate and water regulation (Maass et al., 2005; Lemons, 2006).