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Arid Land Geography ›› 2026, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (8): 1663-1674.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2025.762

• Earth Surface Process • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal changes of aeolian desertification over the past 50 years and driving force analysis during the reversal period in the central Ningxia arid zone, China

LI Sen1,2(), YU Tengfei1,3(), ZHAO Hongyan4, ZHANG Zhishan1,2, YAN Changzhen1   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
    2 Shapotou Desert Experimental Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
    3 Alxa Desert Eco-Hydrological Experimental Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
    4 School of Engineering, Qinghai Institute of Technology, Xining 810016, Qinghai, China
  • Received:2025-11-26 Revised:2025-12-31 Online:2026-08-25 Published:2026-08-21
  • Contact: YU Tengfei E-mail:lisen@lzb.ac.cn;yutf@lzb.ac.cn

Abstract:

The central Ningxia arid zone is one of the most severely desertified regions in China and a key area within the Ordos Loop of the Yellow River campaign. Based on a long-term dataset of aeolian desertification covering the past 50 years (1975—2025), this study examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of aeolian desertification and conducts a quantitative attribution analysis, with a focus on the reversal phase from 1990 to 2020. The results show that: (1) Over the past 50 years, aeolian desertification in the study area presented a trend of first intensification followed by subsequent reversal, with the turning point occurring in 1990. (2) By 2025, the total desertified area was 4257.63 km2, representing a net decrease of 285.68 km2 (6.28%) compared with 1975. Among desertification categories, the extremely severe desertified area experienced the largest percentage reduction of 61.56% over the study period. Spatially, reversal zones were mainly distributed in the western Shapotou District, central-western Lingwu City, and central-northern Yanchi County. (3) Combined analysis using geographical detector and partial least squares structural equation modeling reveals that climatic factors were the dominant driving forces of desertification reversal from 1990 to 2020 (mean q=0.21), with the aridity index exhibiting the strongest explanatory power. After 2020, population density surged in explanatory power (q=0.32), becoming the primary factor associated with localized desertification expansion. Overall, the results reveal that desertification reversal in the arid zone of central Ningxia is mainly driven by the synergistic effect of climatic factors and human activities. However, recent intensive human activities, such as urban expansion and cropland reclamation, have contributed to the development of desertification in local areas. These findings provide a scientific basis for precision-oriented desertification control in the Ordos Loop of the Yellow River.

Key words: spatiotemporal changes, desertification index, geographical detector, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), the central Ningxia arid zone