Abstract: Improving the coupling and coordination of the ecological economic (eco-economic) system in areas ex? periencing desertification is the best way to address regional socioeconomic development and fragile ecological envi? ronments. Research on coupling in ecological economic systems of areas undergoing desertification is thus impor? tant for achieving consistency in ecological protection and economic development and for establishing an efficient and sustainable eco-economic system for desertification control. Knowledge about the degree of coupling coordina? tion can help clarify interactions between ecological and social economic systems in such areas and be used to judge the coupling state of the eco-economic system. The Hobq Desert, a typical ecologically fragile area, was selected as a research area. Over the past 30 years, local governments and enterprises have been actively working to control de? sertification, which has greatly promoted the rapid development of the regional social economy. However, the ecolog? ical environment of the Hobq Desert is still fragile and socioeconomic development remains relatively slow. The rela? tionship between the ecosystem and socioeconomic system remains an unanswered question. How to realize the cou? pling and coordinated development of the eco- economic system remains a key scientific problem that must be solved. This paper selects the eco-economic system of ecological control in the Hobq Desert as a research object. The study uses social questionnaire investigation statistics and statistical data as the main data sources, combined with environmental data and ground surveys of the study area. With these data, the paper constructs an evaluation index system based on actual conditions of the study area along with relevant research results. The coupling degree model and coupling coordination degree model were used to analyze the coupling and coordination state of the eco- economic system in the study area from 2008 to 2017 to provide scientific support for the ecological restoration and sustainable development of the regional social economy in the Hobq Desert. The results demonstrated the following. (1) The coupled development of the eco-economic system of ecological control in the Hobq Desert was relatively sta? ble and at a high level from 2008 to 2017, with a coupling degree mostly between 0.8 198-1. The coupling degree showed a variation trend that first decreased and then increased alternately. (2) From 2008 to 2010, the contribution of the ecosystem parameters of ecological control in the Hobq Desert was less than that of socioeconomic system pa? rameters. In contrast, the latter was bigger from 2011 to 2017 and the timing variation of the contribution of two sys? tem parameters increased yearly. (3) The degree of system coupling coordination increased yearly from 2008 to 2017. The coupling model experienced changes from the dysfunctional decline and change from over-development to coordinated development, and coupling model types in different years differed significantly from year to year. (4) The coupling and coupling coordination degrees are inconsistent from 2008 to 2012. The variation trend of coupling and coupling coordination degrees are similar from 2013 to 2017. On this basis, policy recommendations for the sus? tainable development of a regional ecological economy are proposed in the study area to promote ecological economi? cization and economic ecologicalization.

Key words: desertification control, coupling degree, coupling coordination degree, eco-economic system, Hobq desert