Dimitrios Sarris

Tree intercropping systems with leguminous cover crops and aromatic plants may provide sustainable yields, which could be improved by beneficial microbes (BMs) and zeolite, while their effects on young tree growth remain unclear. We tested whether such systems enhance early growth in young carob trees compared with conservation tillage (TLG) trees growing under rainfed semi-arid conditions. Intercropping included carobs with (i) Lathyrus ochrus, Trifolium squarrosum, and Lens culinaris combined (CC-System), (ii) Thymbra capitata planted between legumes (CCT-System), and soil amended with (iii) BM (Micosat-F-Olivo) and zeolite. All systems outperformed TLG in annual tree height increase with the CC-System excelling (TLG +13%, CC-System +42%; p < 0.05). The CC-System also significantly outpaced TLG in stem thickening (TLG 62%, CC-System 167%; p < 0.01) with BM and/or zeolite also appearing as beneficial. Improved performance was related to significantly higher dry season soil moisture, while a high L. ochrus abundance reduced thyme survival (p < 0.01). The CCT-System was also found to be less capable in weed suppression during a wet year. Thus, applying our legume intercropping system (with BM/zeolite) represents an effective nature-based solution for enhancing young carob tree growth under rainfed conditions, while adding thyme may somewhat trade productivity for biodiversity and associated ecosystem services.

Living mulch intercropping systems are considered as nature-based solutions with a low environmental footprint for managing weeds, improving biodiversity and agroecosystem sustainability. In drylands, however, they may increase intra/inter-specific competition for water, reducing crop productivity. We tested conservation tillage (TLG) carob plots with and without irrigation (TLG_irr; TLG_dry) vs. rainfed intercropping systems of carob and (i) thyme (Thymbra capitata; T-System) or (ii) clover (Trifolium squarrosum; C-System), strategically planted on the south (sun)-exposed soil side (SES) of carobs, to reduce soil temperature/evaporation. Carob water relations, productivity and environmental footprints were examined for three years under semi-arid, low weed-competition (Skarinou-SKR) and arid high weed-competition (Vrysoules-VRY) conditions in Cyprus. Carob yield efficiency (kg/m³) in SKR, was >27% higher for the T-System (p < 0.05; SES cover ca. 85%; year-3), matching a higher leaf water content (p < 0.001) compared to TLG_dry. The T-System reached 28% and 56% of TLG_irr yields during very dry and normal rainfall years; TLG_dry yields approached zero. For VRY, no negative impacts on carob leaf water, at 25% SES cover, were found. SKR’s C-System improved leaf water content (p < 0.05) for only one year. The T-System also outperformed TLG_irr and TLG_dry in terms of reducing irrigation needs and energy consumption, breaking new grounds for dryland agroforestry.

Living mulch intercropping systems are considered as nature-based solutions of low environmental footprint for combating weeds, improving biodiversity and agroecosystem sustainability. In drylands, however, they may increase intra/inter-specific competition for water, reducing crop productivity. We tested conservation tillage carob plots with and without irrigation (TLGirr; TLGdry) vs. rainfed intercropping systems of carob and (i) thyme (Thymbra capitata; T-System) or (ii) clover (Trifolium squarrosum; C-System), strategically planted on the south (sun) exposed soil side (SES) of carobs, to reduce soil temperature/evaporation. Carob water relations, productivity and environmental footprints were examined for three years under semi-arid low-weed competition (SKR) and arid high-weed competition (VRY) conditions in Cyprus. Carob yield efficiency (kg/m3) in SKR, was >27% higher for the T-System (p<0.05; SES cover ca. 85%; year-3), matching higher leaf-water content (p <0.001) compared to TLGdry. The T-System reached 28% and 56% of TLGirr yields during very dry and normal rainfall years; TLGdry yields approached zero. For VRY, no negative impacts on carob leaf-water, at 25% SES cover, were found. SKR’s C-System, improved leaf-water content (p<0.05) for only one year. The T-System also outperformed TLGirr and TLGdry in terms of reducing irrigation needs and energy consumption, breaking new grounds for dryland agroforestry.

Societal Impact Statement: Ground‐based Inventorying and Monitoring programs are crucial for documenting long‐term forest responses to global change pressures, though there is limited coordination among them. We call for building synergies between different Inventorying and Monitoring programs, as well as community science and stakeholder engagement, to expand the temporal and spatial scale of forest monitoring and better integrate ground‐based monitoring, remote sensing and modelling for timely detection of changes in forest conditions and functioning. This will be beneficial for the Proposal for a Monitoring Framework for Resilient European Forests and other not forestry‐related European Union policies and strategies. Summary: There are high expectations from policymakers and society about the role of forests in contributing to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation goals, while also supporting a sustainable forest‐based bioeconomy. Yet, multiple global change drivers are undermining forest health and functioning, resulting in great uncertainties around the future of the ecological, economic and social benefits that humanity relies on from forests. Consequently, there is a pressing need to document the state of forests, which is traditionally accomplished through long‐term ground‐based inventorying and monitoring. There are several Inventorying and Monitoring networks in Europe, each with a specific scope, resulting in their independent development and limited interactions. There is now a growing need for a stronger integration across networks, both conceptually and operationally, to achieve an in‐depth assessment of changes in forest status, underlying mechanisms and drivers, to support the development of pan‐European Earth Observation products and the European Union strategies. Here we briefly summarize the forest ground‐based Inventorying and Monitoring networks in Europe, identifying their role, strengths and areas for improvement. We suggest actions that can favour a transition towards a new, co‐operative and effective era in forest monitoring, which can support research, policy and societal needs in a timely manner.

Land degradation, desertification and tree mortality related to global climate change have been in the spotlight of remote sensing research in recent decades since extreme climatic events could affect the composition, structure, and biogeography of forests. However, the complexity of tree mortality processes requires a holistic approach. Herein, we present the first global assessment and a historical perspective of forest tree mortality by reviewing both remote sensing and meteorological ground-based studies. We compiled 254 papers on tree mortality that make use of remotely sensed products, meteorological ground-based monitoring, and climatic drivers, focusing on their spatial and temporal patterns and the methods applied while highlighting research gaps. Our core results indicate that international publications on tree mortality are on the increase, with the main hotspots being North America (39%) and Europe (26%). Wetness indicators appear as the barometer in explaining tree mortality at a local scale, while vegetation indicators derived from multispectral optical sensors are promising for large-scale assessments. We observed that almost all of the studies we reviewed were based on less than 25 years of data and were at the local scale. Longer timeframes and regional scale investigations that will include multiple tree species analysis could have a significant impact on future research.

Land degradation, desertification and tree mortality related to global climate change are in the spotlight of Remote Sensing research in recent decades, since extreme climatic events could affect the composition, structure and biogeography of forests. However, the complexity of tree mortality processes requires a holistic approach. Herein, we present the first global assessment and a historical perspective of tree mortality by reviewing both Remote Sensing and ground-based studies. We compiled 254 papers on tree mortality that make use of remotely sensed products, ground-based monitoring and climatic drivers, focusing on their spatial and temporal patterns, in the methods applied, while highlighting research gaps. Forested ecosystems, especially in the Mediterranean area, appear to have experienced often climatic-induced physiological stress under extreme droughts and warming, raising concern that forests may become increasingly vulnerable to tree mortality. Our core results indicated that international publications on tree mortality are on the increase with the main hotspots being North America (39%) and Europe (26%). Wetness indicators appear as the barometer in explaining tree mortality on a local scale, while vegetation indicators derived from multispectral optical sensors are promising for large scale assessment. We observed that almost all of the studies we have reviewed were based on less than 25 years of data and were of local scale. Longer timeframes and regional scale investigations that will include multiple tree species analysis could have a significant impact on future research.

Under global warming, drought will reduce productivity of Pinus halepensis s.l. (subspecies halepensis and brutia) and cause a retreat from its rear edge distribution (latitudinal/elevational) in the Mediterranean. To test whether topography can influence this scenario, we studied for approximately 40 years the growth of six natural pine stands in water-limited habitats on the islands of Zakinthos and Samos (eastern Mediterranean Greece), and determined the critical moisture sources that drove pine growth. Dominant pines were selected with no permanent water sources under contrasting moisture conditions created by topography (“wet”-gulley/valley vs. “dry”-upslope habitats). The responses of P. halepensis s.l. to drought under a moderate and a worst case scenario were tested, projected under global warming (approx. − 25% and 40% in annual precipitation compared to 1961–1990 average). Our results show that “wet” habitat pines had higher productivity under normal to wet climate. However, the more precipitation declined, “wet” habitat tree growth was reduced at a significantly faster rate, but also showed a faster recovery, once rainfall returned. Thus, Pinus halepensis s.l. populations in gullies/valleys, may be more drought resilient and less likely to retreat towards higher elevation/latitudes under global warming, compared to pines on dry upslope sites. Under moderate drought, both ecosystems relied on deeper moisture pools supplied by rainfall of the previous 3–6 years (including the year of growth). However, valley/gully habitat pines on significantly deeper soils (and probably on deeper heavily weathered bedrock), appeared to utilize surface moisture from winter/spring rainfall more efficiently for survival and recovery. Thus, deep soils may provide the key “buffer” for pine survival in such ecosystems that could act as potential refugia for P. halepensis s.l. under climate change.

Background: Mulching systems are at the spotlight of sustainable soil management as nature-based solutions for combating desertification. Aims: We tested how living mulch systems based on rainfed Thymbra capitata [(L.) Cav.], can be established under different pressure from drought and weeds in dryland carob plantations. Study design: 10 thyme plots in semi-arid climate (SKR); 11 plots in arid climate (VRY); different weed competition intensity (60 thymes per plot). Place and Duration of the Study: South-eastern Cyprus, between December 2019 and 2022. Methodology: Survival and soil cover for 1260 T. capitata seedlings (3-5 cm tall, 16 seedlings per m²) was assessed at the end of 3 dry seasons (d.s.) together with weed community composition, weed abundance (w.a.) and biomass. Climate data and De Martone’s Aridity Index (DMAI) were used to assess drought severity. Results: Around 80% of the thymes survived at the end of the first d.s, that followed a very rainy year (ca. 600 mm annual precipitation; P; ca. +50% than normal; ca. 19 DMAI). Thyme survival appeared unaffected by w.a. in both sites. After a severe drought that occurred the second year (ca. 300 mm P; ca. -22% than normal; ca. 9.5 DMAI) thyme survival rates dropped at the end of the d.s. to ca. 20% at the site with 3 times higher w.a./ biomass (mostly from Avena sp.). However, they were unaffected under low w.a. creating a 29% soil cover (vs.7% in VRY). These results remained till the end of the third d.s. Conclusions: To combat desertification and drought intensification under climatic change, rainfed T. capitata as living mulch appears unaffected by weeds during wet years, or in very dry years under low w.a. However, under high w.a., a weed management system is required if climate is arid.

Background: Water availability is the key limiting factor for plant productivity in drylands covering ca. 40% of Earth’s land surface. For such ecosystems to retain productivity and biodiversity under climatic change, it would be valuable to identify/promote keystone plant species that (i) have developed strategies to more efficiently utilize moisture resources not easily accessible and (ii) improve moisture conditions for neighboring plants. The very deep-rooted Ziziphus lotus, considered an ecosystem engineer, is one such example. However, it is not known which biotic traits: (a) canopy interception of moisture/rainfall, (b) hydraulic redistribution of deep ground moisture by roots, or non-biotic factors: (c) soil’s volume, and (d) organic matter content, Z. lotus activates/modulates to play such a role. We, thus, selected dryland ecosystems where the plant dominates and measured for potential effects on the less deep-rooted Thymbra capitata. For assessing impacts on ecosystem productivity, we measured the spatial aggregation of ca. 3600 T. capitata plants. As a proxy for soil moisture availability and its spatial variability, we conducted a 7-year-long study using thymes’ nighttime rehydration. Sampling extended up to 15 m away from Z. lotus. Results: The density of T. capitata plants growing up to 5 m around Z. lotus vs. thymes growing 10–15 m away was found significantly increased (2.5–4.5 times), while their stem/leaf moisture was ca. 10% higher at predawn compared to nightfall during the dry season. This suggests that ecosystem productivity is driven by a greater soil moisture availability around Z. lotus permitting more thyme daytime transpiration, in contrast to thymes growing further away. The phenomenon appeared only under dry topsoil (during the dry season; becoming stronger during dry years). Morning dew/rainfall interception from the canopy or soil depth/organic matter did not show significant effects, leaving only the hydraulic lift properties of Z. lotus as the most likely driver for soil moisture availability. Conclusions: The deep-rooting properties and hydraulic lift potential of Z. lotus may be the key in permitting it to boost ecosystem productivity. Such hydraulic plant traits require more attention as they may prove valuable in combating desertification and restoring ecosystems in arid/semiarid regions threatened by climate change.