Xeroriparian systems: the hidden arteries connecting life in arid and semi-arid landscapes
Xeroriparian systems: the hidden arteries connecting life in arid and semi-arid landscapes
Keywords:
Functional connectivity, biological conservation, Llanos de Ojuelos, landscape geneticsAbstract
In arid and semi-arid landscapes, where water is limited and vegetation is scarce, xeroriparian systems stand out as biodiversity refuges and potential biological corridors. Although many streams and rivers in these regions are temporary or ephemeral, underground moisture supports the development of a denser and more diverse riparian vegetation than that of the surrounding landscape. Xeroriparian systems provide food, shelter, and movement routes for numerous species, facilitating their dispersal in an increasingly fragmented world. Despite their ecological importance, xeroriparian systems remain understudied and are practically absent from conservation policies in Mexico even though more than half of the country lies in arid or semi-arid zones. Recent studies show that although they occupy only a minimal portion of the landscape, they harbor high biodiversity and sustain essential ecological processes. Understanding their roles in ecological connectivity, including the use of tools such as landscape genetics, helps identify which landscape elements facilitate or restrict species movement. Recognizing, protecting and restoring these systems is crucial for conserving biodiversity and maintaining ecological resilience in the face of fragmentation and climate change.
References
Carrasco-Ortíz, M. A., Riojas-López, M. E., y Mellink, E. (2021). First record of collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) in the southern part of the Mexican Altiplano. Therya Notes, 2(2), 73–78. https://doi.org/10.12933/therya_notes-21-38
Dar, S., Singh, S., Wan, H. Y., Cushman, S., Bashir, T., y Sambandam, S. (2022). Future land use and climate change escalate connectivity loss for Himalayan brown bears. Animal Conservation, 26(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12813
Hardy, P. C., Griffin, D. J., Kuenzi, A. J., y Morrison, M. L. (2004). Occurrence and habitat use of passage neotropical migrants in the Sonoran Desert. Western North American Naturalist, 64(1), 59–71.
Malpica, A., y González, C. (2023). Landscape anthropization explains the genetic structure of an endemic Mexican bird (Thryophilus sinaloa: Troglodytidae) across the tropical dry forest biodiversity hotspot. Landscape Ecology, 38, 3249–3268. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-023-01777-w
Manel, S., Schwartz, M. K., Luikart, G., y Taberlet, P. (2003). Landscape genetics: Combining landscape ecology and population genetics. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 18(4), 189–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-5347(03)00008-9
Mellink, E., y Riojas-López, M. E. (2020). Livestock and grassland interrelationship along five centuries of ranching the semiarid grasslands on the southern highlands of the Mexican Plateau. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 8(20). https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.416
Montaño, N. M., Ayala, F., Bullock, S. H., Briones, O., García-Oliva, F., García-Sánchez, R., Maya, Y., Perroni, Y., Siebe, C., y Tapia-Torres, Y. (2016). Almacenes y flujos de carbono en ecosistemas áridos y semiáridos de México: Síntesis y perspectivas. Revista Terra Latinoamericana, 34, 39–59.
Neate-Clegg, M. H. C., Horns, J. J., Buchert, M., Pope, T. L., Norvell, R., Parrish, J. R., y al. (2021). The effects of climate change and fluctuations on the riparian bird communities of the arid Intermountain West. Animal Conservation, 25, 325–341. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12755
Riojas-López, M. E., y Mellink, E. (2005). Potential for biological conservation in man-modified semiarid habitats in northeastern Jalisco, Mexico. Biodiversity and Conservation, 14, 2251–2263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-004-5289-1
Riojas-López, M. E., y Mellink, E. (2019). Registros relevantes de aves en el sur del Altiplano Mexicano. Huitzil, 20(2), e513. https://doi.org/10.28947/hrmo.2019.20.2.457
Riojas-López, M. E., y Mellink, E. (2023). Vanishing of the mighty tunales of central México: A five-century history of landscape change. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2022.00114
Riojas-López, M. E., Mellink, E., y Almanzor-Rojas, D. H. (2019). Estado del conocimiento de los carnívoros nativos (Mammalia) en un paisaje antropizado del Altiplano Mexicano: El caso de Los Llanos de Ojuelos. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 90, e902669. https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2019.90.2669
Riojas-López, M. E., Mellink, E., y Carrasco-Ortiz, M. A. (2025). The value of xeroriparian habitats in the Llanos de Ojuelos, southern portion of the central plateau of México in the light of new mammal records. Acta Zoológica Mexicana (nueva serie), 41, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.21829/azm.2025.4112695
Riojas-López, M. E., Mellink, E., y Montes-Olivares, M. (2024). Ephemeral and intermittent xeroriparian systems are keystone habitats for bird communities during the non-breeding season in a Mexican semiarid landscape. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 95, e955383. https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2024.95.5383
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Andreia Malpica, Mónica E. Riojas-López, Eric Mellink
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
