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Arid Land Geography ›› 2024, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (12): 2051-2063.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2024.116

• Earth Surface Process • Previous Articles     Next Articles

A Meta-analysis of desertification dynamics in the Mu Us Sandy Land

XIU Xiaomin1,2(), WU Bo1,2,3(), FEI Bingqiang1,2, YIN Jie1,2, ZHANG Lingguang1,2, LI Jia1,2, PANG Yingjun1,2, JIA Xiaohong1,2   

  1. 1. Institute of Ecological Conservation and Restoration, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
    2. Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Desert Ecosystem and Global Change, Beijing 100091, China
    3. Institute of Great Green Wall, Beijing 100091, China
  • Received:2024-02-25 Revised:2024-03-31 Online:2024-12-25 Published:2025-01-02
  • Contact: WU Bo E-mail:xiuxiaomin@caf.ac.cn;wubo@caf.ac.cn

Abstract:

Desertification is a critical global ecological and environmental challenge. The Mu Us Sandy Land is a pivotal region for desertification control in China. Over the past three decades, numerous studies have examined desertification dynamics in this area; however, a systematic analysis of these dynamics over the past 70 years has been lacking. This study conducted a Meta-analysis of desertification dynamics by integrating the findings of 39 case studies on the Mu Us Sandy Land since the 1950s and discussed the factors influencing desertification. The results indicate the following: (1) Over the past 70 years, the proportion of light desertification areas initially decreased and then increased, the proportion of moderate desertification areas exhibited a slight increasing trend, and the proportion of severely desertified areas first increased and then decreased, reflecting a notable reversal of desertification trends in the Mu Us Sandy Land. (2) A slight reversal trend of desertification was observed from 1980 to 1989, desertification expanded from 1990 to 1999, the expansion trend was reversed from 2000 to 2009, and desertification continued to steadily reverse from 2010 to 2019. The year 2000 marked a significant turning point in the reversal of desertification in the Mu Us Sandy Land. (3) Continuous drought has significantly promoted desertification expansion. The sustained reversal of desertification since 2000 is attributed to extensive ecological engineering efforts and the implementation of policies such as “prohibition against grazing, closed grazing, rotational grazing, and limiting grazing animal numbers based on pasture availability”. These findings provide valuable insights for understanding the development patterns of desertification in the Mu Us Sandy Land and formulating effective desertification control strategies.

Key words: desertification dynamics, Meta-analysis, driver factors, ecological project, Mu Us Sandy Land