Desertification Control Practices in China

Abstract

Desertification is a form of land degradation principally in semi-arid and arid areas influenced by climatic and human factors. As a country plagued by extensive sandy desertification and frequent sandstorms and dust storms, China has been trying to find ways to achieve the sustainable management of desertified lands. This paper reviewed the impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on desertified areas, and the effort, outcome, and lessons learned from desertification control in China. Although drying and warming trends and growing population pressures exist in those areas, the expanding trend of desertified land achieved an overall reversal. In the past six decades, many efforts, including government policies, forestry, and desertification control programs, combined with eco-industrialization development, have been integrated to control the desertification in northern China. Positive human intervention including afforestation, and the rehabilitation of mobile sandy land, and water conservation have facilitated the return of arid and semi-arid ecosystems to a more balanced state. China’s practices in desertification control could provide valuable knowledge for sustainable desertified land management on a global scale.

Impacts of climate change on wind erosion in Southern Africa between 1991 and 2015

“…As a result, practical measures can be conducted from the perspective of increasing surface roughness to slow down the wind speed, such as increasing the vegetation coverage under suitable climate conditions. For example, windbreaks and shrubs are common in northeastern and northwestern China have played a significant role in preventing the invasion of sand and dust storms (Lyu et al, 2020). And the implementation of numerous ecological restoration projects and policies is also worth trying (Burrell, Evans, & De Kauwe, 2020).…”

Vegetation Restoration Alters Fungal Community Composition and Functional Groups in a Desert Ecosystem

“…sylvestris var. mongolica (P. sylvestris) originating from the Hulunbuir Sandy Land was successfully introduced into the Mu Us Sandy Land and this contributed significantly to ecological restoration (Lyu et al, 2020). So far, the changes in the below-ground microbial community along revegetation durations, particularly in a desert ecosystem remain unclear, and should be elucidated to generate an understanding of the sustainable development associated with long-term vegetation restoration and natural restoration.…”

Situating China in the Global Effort to Combat Desertification

“…National programmes contributed to the revegetation of Mu Us sand lands as they take advantage of windows of favourable weather conditions [19]. Lyu et al (2020) [10] also consider that the national programs have delivered several positive results, such as increased vegetation coverage, reduced sandstorm frequency and a decrease in desertified land area, despite climate change and increasing pressures from a growing population. Chen et al (2019) [8] conclude the unreserved investments from the central government to scientific research, alongside decisive action in combating desertification, distinguishes China from other countries.…”

“…Nevertheless, China alone accounts for 25% of the global net increase in leaf area with its 6.6% of the global vegetated area, due to its ambitious national restoration programmes [8,9]. These programmes are said to have greatly improved the sustainability of the rural land system [10,11]. China is celebrating its achievements and has been commended for its ambition to help other countries to deal with desertification [12].…”