Abstract
This article takes the two segments of the Ming Great Walls, Dabian and Erbian, and their associated barracks and forts as geographical references. Based on a detailed scrutiny of historical records of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and on field surveys, the southern boundaries of the sand dunes and sand shifts of the Mu Us Desert in the Ming and Qing dynasties are carefully reconstructed. A comparison of the southern boundaries of the sand dunes and sand shifts of the Mu Us Desert in Ming and Qing with the modern boundary revealed in remote sensing imagery clearly shows that the southern boundary of dunes and shifts in the Mu us Desert has expanded only in a few areas and on a small scale. In the area to the south of Changle Fort, along the direction of annually prevailing winds, sand drifts have penetrated through the Jialu River valley into the loess region and have formed a sand strip of 32 km long and 3 km wide. To the east of Qingping Fort, sand drifts penetrated toward the eastern loess region through the Luhe River valley and have formed another sand strip of 8 km long and 2 km wide. Generally speaking, though the intensity of human activity has been increasing in this area since the Ming Dynasty, the Mu Us Desert has not significantly expanded toward the southeast or southwest. The sand-loess boundary in the southern fringe of the Mu Us Desert has been almost unchanged since the Ming Dynasty.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lin Y Zh, Chen Ch K, Chen Ch D. A discussion on the direction of production development and way of halting the process of desertification in the Mu Us sandy land. Acta Geogr Sin, 1983, 38(3): 229–230
Luo L. Sand dunes between Yulin and Jingbian in the North Shaanxi. Chin Sci Bull (in Chinese), 1954, (3): 40–46
Yan Q Sh. Shifting sand dunes between Yulin and Jingbian in North Shaanxi and their utilization. Chin Sci Bull (in Chinese), 1954, (11): 28–34
Hou R Zh. Studying on the changes of the Hedong desert in Ningxia based on the relics of the human activities. Chin Sci Bull (in Chinese), 1964, (3): 226–231
The Institute of Desert Researches of CAS, ed. The Management of Deserts (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 1976.1
Zhao Y F. Issues on the Changes of the Mu Us Desert in history. Hist Geogr (in Chinese), 1981, 1: 44
Zhu Sh G. Changes of the Chengchuan Lake and the relations with the cultivation in history. Agr Archeol (in Chinese), 1982, (1): 14–18
Wang B Ch. The historical changes of the areas in the south edge of the Mu’us sandy land. J Desert Res (in Chinese), 1983, 3(4): 11–21
Dong G R, Li B Sh. The case study of the vicissitude of the Mu’us sandy land since the late Pleistocene according to the Salawusu river strata. J Desert Res (in Chinese), 1983, 3(2): 9–14
Shi P J. Theory and Practice on the Geographical Environments Evolution (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 1991.126–133
Li R Q, Zhu G R, Zhang B Y. A study on the hazard of wind-drift sand in the juncture of Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi. J Beijing Normal Univ (Natl Sci) (in Chinese), 1995, 31(2): 251–257
Li B Sh, Jin H L, Lu H Y, et al. Processes of the deposition and vicissitude of the Mu Us Desert, China since 150 ka ago. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci (in Chinese), 1998, 28: 85–90
Sun J M, Ding Zh L. Process and cause of land desertification in Northeast China. Quat Sci (in Chinese), 1998, (2): 156–164
Hou Y J. The natural and human landscape in the Ordos Plateau during the Beiwei Dynasty (A D 386–534). J Desert Res (in Chinese), 2001, 21(2): 188–194
Wang Sh Y, Dong J B. The rise and fall of Tongwan City with the environmental change of the Mu Us Sandy Land. Geogr Res (in Chinese), 2001, 20(3): 347–352
Deng H, Xia Zh K, Wang F Y. Ancient city’s relics in the southern fringe of the Mu Us Desert in China—A case study of the human’s impact on the face of the Earth. J Chin Hist Geogr (in Chinese), 2001, 16(2): 104–113
Gu L. About historical records of which the quicksand hit Yulin Town and preliminary analysis of its reason in the Ming and Qing Dynasty. J Chin Hist Geogr (in Chinese), 2003, 18(4): 52–56
Han Zh Q. The evolution of the Maowusu desert and the reclamation in the adjacent areas in the Ming Dynasty. Chin Soc Sci (in Chinese), 2003, (5): 201
Cao Y N. Problem of sandbar along the frontier wall in the half way of Yanshui road in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. J Inner Mongolia Normal Univ (Soc Sci) (in Chinese), 2004, 33(1): 5–9
Wang N A, He T H, Huang Y Zh. Discovery of Liuhu State relic and its significance of environmental indication. J Chin Hist Geogr (in Chinese), 2006, 21(3): 45–46
Ho P. The myth of desertification at China’s northwestern frontier. Modern China, 2000, 26: 348–395
(Ming Dynasty) Tu Z J. Xiu fu bian yuan ba chu ji sha shu (Report on repairing the Great Wall and removing the sand dunes). in: (Ming Dynasty) Chen Z L, ed. Ming jing shi wen bian (The Collection of the Articles on the Management of State Affairs in the Ming Dynasty) (in Chinese). Bejing: Zhong Hua Book Co, 1962. 4922–4936
(Ming Dynasty) Tu Z J. Ji shi yi xiu nei zheng zhi shi zheng shi shu (On the civil critique, the administration reform, and the tangible methods). in: (Ming Dynasty) Chen Z L, ed. Ming jing shi wen bian (The Collection of the Articles on the Management of State Affairs in the Ming Dynasty) (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhong Hua Book Co, 1962. 4909–4922
(Ming Dynasty) Yang Y Q. Wei jing li yao hai bian fang bao gu jiang chang shi (On the affairs of consolidation of the frontiers for the management of the crucial frontier garrisons). In: (Ming Dynasty) Chen Z L, ed. Ming jing shi wen bian (The Collection of the Articles on the Management of State Affairs in the Ming Dynasty) (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhong Hua Book Co, 1962. 1091–1105
(Ming Dynasty) Yu M H. Jing chen bian fang yao wu shu (Reverential report on the crucial affairs of frontier garrisons). in: (Ming Dynasty) Chen Z L, ed. Ming jing shi wen bian (The Collection of the Articles on the Management of State Affairs in the Ming Dynasty) (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhong Hua Book Co, 1962. 5170–5184
Wang B Ch. Explanation on the sketch map of the Ordos deserts in the early ninth century. J Desert Res (in Chinese), 1986, 6(4): 37
(Ming Dynasty) Tu Z J. Qing zhu jin yao tai cheng shu (Report on the request of rebuilding the critical frontier fortresses). in: (Ming Dynasty) Chen Z L, ed. Ming jing shi wen bian (The Collection of the Articles on the Management of State Affairs in the Ming Dynasty) (in Chinese). Bejing: Zhong Hua Book Co, 1962. 4909–4922
(Qing Dynasty) Liang F. Qinbian Jilu (in Chinese). Xining: Qinghai People’s Press, 1987. 336–366
(Ming Dynasty) Cao Y B. Bian wu yao lue (The key tactics of the frontier affairs). in: (Ming Dynasty) Chen Z L, ed. Ming jing shi wen bian (The Collection of the Articles on the Management of State Affairs in the Ming Dynasty) (in Chinese). Bejing: Zhong Hua Book Co, 1962. 4467–4469
(Ming Dynasty) Zeng X. Zong ti gai guan tiao yi shu (The report on the official duties). in: (Ming Dynasty) Chen Z L, ed. Ming jing shi wen bian (The Collection of the Articles on the Management of State Affairs in the Ming Dynasty) (in Chinese). Bejing: Zhong Hua Book Co, 1962. 2483–2492
(Qing Dynasty) Gao Sh Q. Hu cong ji cheng (Record of the journey as a retinue). In: (Qing Dynasty) Wang X Q, ed. Xiao fang hu zhai yu di cong chao (The Collections of Geography of the Small Square Pot Studio) (in Chinese). Hangzhou: Hangzhou Ancient Book Store, 1985. 273–275
Shu Sh G. Spatial distribution of the land utilization along the Great Walls in North Shaanxi in the Ming Dynasty. Dissertation for the Master Degree (in Chinese). Beijing: Peking University, 2006. 42–91
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40371109) and the Key Research Project of the Key Research Base on Humanities supported by Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. 05JJDZH235)
About this article
Cite this article
Deng, H., Shu, S., Song, Y. et al. Distribution of sand dunes and sand shifts along the southern fringe of the Mu Us Desert since the Ming Dynasty. Chin. Sci. Bull. 52, 3128–3138 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-007-0423-6
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-007-0423-6