Editorial: Environmental change in drylands: Past, present, future–volume II

Dryland environments -defined as landscapes spanning hyper-arid to sub-humid climates -cover 12 40% of the terrestrial surface, host 40% of the world's human population, and are characterized by 13 considerable seasonal and inter-annual variations in precipitation. Climatic and environmental 14 variability in drylands has been a key characteristic over a range of timescales from the Quaternary 15 into the Anthropocene. The climatic oscillations of the Quaternary have influenced dryland 16 landscapes, ecology and hominin populations. Drivers include glacial to interglacial-paced impacts 17 on temperature and hydroclimate, precessional-insolation forcing of global monsoon systems, and 18 teleconnection with millennial-scale extreme climate events at the higher latitudes. approaches, and geographical areas (Figure 1). Both hemispheres and four continents (Africa, 30Europe, Asia and Australasia) are covered. 31