ARID AND SEMIARID LAND STEWARDSHIP:
A 10-YEAR REVIEW OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
OF THE INTERNATIONAL ARID LANDS CONSORTIUM

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Synthesis of Accomplishments

Sustainability and variability in arid and semiarid ecosystems are basically affected by the inherit problems associated with soil and water resources. In the past ten years, the International Arid Lands Consortium (IALC) addressed some of the most important issues that are related to development and conservation of these natural resources under the different climatic conditions of the southwestern United States, the Middle East, and Chile. Scientists from these countries have collaborated in research and development and demonstration projects and exchanged views and scientific visits with the ultimate objective of making needed information available for better management of resources. To further enhance dissemination of information and data generated for research and demonstration activities to all stakeholders, the IALC supported outreach activities through publications, conferences, and training courses.

Accomplishments in thematic areas of IALC emphasis are summarized below:

Soil and Water Resources Development and Conservation

• The IALC research and development projects that are providing approaches for understanding factors leading to losses in soil productivity and the synthesis of methods potentially available for reclaiming soil and water resources.
• Results from these efforts have provided managers and landowners with methods to overcome existing or anticipated limitations in soil and water resources.
• Findings can be directed to local, regional or even global issues.
• IALC demonstration projects are providing managers and the general public with information and instruction related to conservation and sustainable use of soil and water resources that is applicable on local, regional, and global scales.

  Land Use and Reclamation

• Obtaining a better understanding of the effects of land-use practices on water transpiration by indigenous plant communities and assemblages of sensitive wildlife populations had been a focus the IALC research and development projects in this thematic area.
• The IALC demonstration projects in this thematic category are making management-based information needed for better use of arid and semiarid lands available to interested people in formats that are easily accessible.
• Because water supplies and inherent natural resource productivity are limited on arid and semiarid lands, a Web Site at http://ag.arizona.edu/OALS/watershed entitled Managing Arid and Semi-Arid Watersheds has been developed to bring field-tested data and other information to interested people in formats that can be used for both learning and decision-making purposes.

  Processes Enhancing Ecological Management

• IALC research and development activities are helping to determine how patterns of livestock grazing, tree planting, shrub occurrence and control, occurrences of microphytic soil crusts, and burrowing animals are influencing plant diversity, nutrient distribution and productivity, and water capture.
• A large proportion of IALC support for research and development projects relating to biological diversity and productivity of plants, and animals and their functional relationships, reflects the particular fragility of biodiversity in arid and semiarid land ecosystems.
• The IALC-sponsored video entitled Survivors in the Sand has been televised to diverse audiences throughout the world and has received a number of awards. The video's impact has been significant in delivering the IALC message and that of others concerned with the conservation and sustainable use of the natural resources found on arid and semiarid lands.

  Inventorying and Measurement Techniques and Monitoring

• IALC-supported investigations have focused on developing better methods of assessing the risk that humans pose to the ecology of arid and semiarid environments and the hazards that these environments pose to humans.
• A variety of techniques have been developed to provide a wide spatial assessment of land surface conditions to detect subtle changes in landscape conditions.

  Other Comments

• The IALC experience suggests that fostering collaboration between scientists with complementary assets and leveraging resources of major universities and experimental centers focused on arid and semiarid land studies are an efficient way to obtain results with limited financial support.
• Scientists and institutions' laboratories with limited research resources have benefitted by collaboration fostered through funding policies.
• Greater impact on management is achieved by investing in outreach, than by focusing on research and development alone.
• The IALC continues to provide opportunities for collaboration and creativity in basic and applied research and development.
• Fostering of international collaboration has clearly benefitted researchers, students, and institutions through increased research innovation and productivity.