Desertification and its control along the route of China’s “Belt and Road Initiative”: A critical review

Abstract

The "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI) was anticipated in 2013 to promote socioeconomic development and cooperation across countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and worldwide. Rapid land-use changes and infrastructure developments driven by the BRI program are expected in the coming decades. These anthropogenic effects are likely to exaggerate the process of de-vegetation, deforestation, accelerating desertification, which is one of the major threats to the BRI region. This manuscript studied the desertification facts (i.e. spatiotemporal pattern, impacts and impacting factors) and investigated key aspects for desertification control (i.e. mitigation and evaluation methods) in the BRI countries via an extensive review of literature. We found that desertification has been prevalent in the BRI countries, predominantly in C Asia, but quantitative assessment of desertification is yet fully understood. This review illustrated that desertification was driven by climatic dryness and mis-land-use/management activities, but their relative importance has yet been (quantitatively) assessed along the BRI countries. Given the negative impacts of desertification, these BRI countries have ratified the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to reduce negative impacts. The implementation of desertification mitigation programmes are currently still lacking. We argued that desertification is usually evaluated via four type of approaches, including quantitative approaches, indirect detection, direct observation and biophysical measurement (e.g. vegetation growth). Future research should be applied by considering the research scope and data availability. Overall, we conclude that BRI countries should carry out transboundary control on desertification. Otherwise, this issue is likely to extend further imminent developments under the foremost BRI program.

Applicability of Grassland Production Estimation Using Remote Sensing for the Mongolian Plateau by Comparing Typical Regions in China and Mongolia

“…Grassland production, which is an important indicator of changes in grasslands [3][4][5], is the foundation for assessing the ability of grasslands to bear environmental stress and maintain the balance between grass and livestock [6,7]. The Mongolian Plateau is rich in grassland resources and is an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor [8]. Estimating grassland production in the Mongolian Plateau facilitates raising awareness of resource and environmental issues in the Mongolian Plateau and the monitoring and management of the dynamic evolution of local grassland resources and land degradation, thereby providing scientific data and support for implementing decisions on sustainable animal husbandry and grassland succession management.…”

Assessing optimal nitrate/ ammonium- ratios in baby-leaf lettuce to enhance the heat stress tolerance under elevated CO2 conditions

“…Among all the negative effects from global warming, the increasingly frequent heat waves and drought are considered two of the most damaging [ 5 ]. These climatic phenomena magnify the processes of desertification and erosion, and can lead to a generalized loss of biodiversity [ 6 ].…”

Analysis of the Biological Diversity of the Halophilic Floristic Complex of the Ketpen-Temerlik Ridge

“…The rest of the families contain 1 species each. The largest number of taproot plants is concentrated in the families of Zygophyllaceae (9 species), Fabaceae (5), Limoniaceae (5), Asteraceae (9). There are 7 species of turf plants, all of them are concentrated in the family of Poaceae.…”

“…Annuals predominate in the families of Chenopodiaceae (18 species), Poaceae(19), Asteraceae(16), Fabaceae (2), and Caryophyllaceae(2). Perennials dominate in the families of Asteraceae (20 species), Poaceae(11), Zygophyllaceae(10), Chenopodiaceae(8), Brassicaceae (3), Limoniaceae(5), Caryophyllaceae (4), Boraginaceae (3), Asteraceae (3), Fabaceae(6). The rest of the families contain 1 species each.…”