Drylands, covering nearly half the Earth's terrestrial surface, are increasingly threatened by human activities. This study evaluated the protection status of global drylands, their vertebrate biodiversity, current threats, and projected land-use changes under different future scenarios. Drylands have lower protected area coverage (12%) than non-drylands (21%), leaving most dryland vertebrates inadequately protected. Anthropogenic factors like agricultural and infrastructure development pose significant threats. By 2100, 95-100% of current natural dryland habitats are projected to experience some land conversion, even under optimistic scenarios. The study highlights the urgent need for a systematic approach to evaluate and mitigate these threats to dryland biodiversity.

Amir Lewin, Gopal Murali, Shimon Rachmilevitch, Uri Roll