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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
REVIEW PAPER
Research Progress on Structure, Pattern,
Process Coupling Mechanisms in
Desert Ecosystems of Arid China
1
Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Shanxi Institute of Technology, Yangquan 045000, Shanxi, China
Submission date: 2026-06-01
Final revision date: 2026-08-11
Acceptance date: 2026-08-21
Online publication date: 2026-10-19
Corresponding author
Yue Zheng
Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Shanxi Institute of Technology, No.1 Xue Yuan Road, Kai Fa Qu, 045000, YANGQUAN, China
Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Shanxi Institute of Technology, No.1 Xue Yuan Road, Kai Fa Qu, 045000, YANGQUAN, China
KEYWORDS
desert ecosystemstructure-pattern-process couplingbiological soil crustsecohydrologycarbon-water trade-off
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Nearly two-fifths of the global land surface consists of arid-land ecosystems. Their impact on
changes in terrestrial carbon sinks is uneven, and their function is difficult to estimate due to water
limitation. This structured narrative review integrates the coupling of structure, pattern, and process of
desert ecosystems in China’s arid regions. OpenAlex and Crossref were searched to identify candidate
publications, supplemented by citation links, with the time span mainly covering January 2018 to
July 2026, and earlier foundational research establishing relevant theoretical concepts was retained.
39 peer-reviewed publications were selected and coded. After comprehensive consideration, six recurring
themes are summarized, including hierarchical organization. There is relatively strong evidence for the
functional role of biological soil crusts, but there are many uncertainties regarding the transferability
of idealized models. The problems that need to be addressed first involve causal relationships across
scales. Solving such problems is necessary for evaluating restoration and carbon neutrality strategies,
which cannot focus only on the extent of greening.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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