The Effect of Climate Change on the Physical and Chemical Properties of Arid and Semi-Arid Soils

Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges threatening food security now, in the near and far future. This mainly occurs in the form of increasing temperature, change in rainfall pattern, and increase in extreme weather events. There are strong evidences demonstrating the vulnerability of agriculture sector in arid and semi-arid regions to climate change. This may directly impact on crops growth and production or indirectly impact on their environments. The ability of soil to produce a crop depends on its physical and chemical properties and these properties are directly and indirectly affected by climatic factors such as temperature and rainfall. Most predictions show that in arid and semi-arid regions, including many regions of Iran, climate change will lead to an increase in temperature and a decrease in rainfall. Therefore, considering the importance and role of temperature and humidity in physical and chemical quality indicators of soil and production stability, it seems that the phenomenon of climate change will have adverse effects on soil and then on crop production. Therefore, it is very important to use the necessary solutions to mitigate these adverse effects and adapt to the upcoming conditions. In this article, by reviewing and summarizing the research on the effects of climate change on the characteristics of arid and semi-arid soils, an attempt has been made to provide some kind of foresight of possible changes in the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil due to climate change.