Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Aeolian desertification from the mid-1970s to 2005 in Otindag Sandy Land, Northern China

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Geology

Abstract

Aeolian desertification in Otindag Sandy Land has expanded dramatically during the past 50 years. This research explored processes and causes of aeolian desertification in the study area. The results showed that aeolian desertification development in Zhenglan Qi of typical region located at the center in the study area can be divided into three stages including rapid occurrence before 1987, parts of rehabilitation and most of deterioration from 1987 to 2000 and little rapid rehabilitation occurrence from 2000 to 2005, according to remote sensing images and field investigations. Gradually declining MI indicated that climate change was not the major cause of aeolian desertification development during the last 40 years, while increasing population should be the underlying cause of local aeolian desertification. Irrational human activities mainly including unsuitable reclamation in the 1960s and lasting over-grazing after 1980 are direct causes contributing to local aeolian desertification, especially over-grazing, while climate change often played a revealer of irrational human activities mainly through drought events. Over-grazing and undesirable climate have different functions during the whole aeolian desertification process. Over-grazing gradually changed grasslands to slight aeolian desertified lands at the initial stage, while climate with windy days or droughts often accelerated formation of serious aeolian desertified lands. Aeolian desertification in the study area both possesses occurrence possibility and great rehabilitative potential. At present, more integrated countermeasures combating local aeolian desertification still are expected.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Begzsuren S, Ellis JE, Ojima DS, Coughenour MB, Chuluun T (2004) Livestock responses to droughts and severe winter weather in the Gobi Three Beauty National Park, Mongolia. J Arid Environ 59:785–796

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang XL, Zhao XY, Han ZX, Cui BL, Chen YL (2005) Cumulative impacts of human activities and natural elements on desertification in Horqin Sand Land (in Chinese). J Desert Res 25(4):466–471

    Google Scholar 

  • Charney J, Stone PH, Quirk WJ (1975) Drought in Sahara: a biophysical feedback mechanism. Science 187:434–435

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen GT (1991) The contemporary process of desertification in Southeast part of Inner Mongolian Plateau (in Chinese). J Desert Res 11(2):11–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen JS, Guo XM (1960) Natural Landscape of Small Tengger Sandy Land in Inner Mongolia (in Chinese). Acta Geogr Sin 26(1):23–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen YQ (1986) Drought and its affection. Disaster Res, 1

  • Chepil WS (1962) Climatic factor for estimating wind erodibility fields. J Soil Water Conserv 17(4):162–165

    Google Scholar 

  • David SGT, Melanie K, Giles FSW (2005) Remobilization of southern African desert dune systems by twenty-first century global warming. Nature 435:1218–1221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong JL (2000) Variation analysis of sandy desertification in Hunshandake Sandy Land (Local part) (in Chinese). For Resour Manage 5:25–29

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Baz F (1983) A geological perspective of desert. In: Stephen GW, Donald RH (eds) Origin and evolution of desert. The University of New Mexico Press, pp 163–183

  • FAO (1979) A provisional methodology for soil degradation assessment. Rome

  • Hahn BD, Richardson FD, Hoffman MT, Roberts R, Todd SW, Carrick PJ (2005) A simulation model of long-term climate, livestock and vegetation interactions on communal rangelands in the semi-arid Succulent Karoo, Namaqualand, South Africa. Ecol Modell 183:211–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han NY, Jiang GM, Li WJ (eds) (2002) Management of the degraded ecosystems in Xilingol Biosphere Reserve. Qinghua University Press, pp 64–66

  • He Q, Lv DR (2003) Monitoring vegetation cover change in East Hunshandake Sandy Land with Landsat TM and ETM+ and its possible causes (in Chinese). Remote Sens Technol Appl 18(6):353–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Jorgensen DW (1992) Use of soils to differentiate dune age and to determine spatial variation in aeolian activity, north-east Colorado, U.S.A. J Arid Environ 23:19–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Jason E, Roland G (2003) Discrimination between climate and human-induced dryland degradation. J Arid Environ 57:535–554

    Google Scholar 

  • Lancaster N (1988) Development of linear dunes in the southwestern Kalahari. Southern Africa. J Arid Environ 14:233–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Li QF, Li FS, Wu L (2002) A primary analysis on climatic change and grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia (in Chinese). Agric Res Arid Areas 20(4):99–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Li XB, Wang Y, Li KR (2000) NDVI sensitivity to seasonal and interannual rainfall variations in Northern China (in Chinese). Acta Geogr Sin 55(Suppl):82–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu SL, Wang T (2004a) Primary study on Sandy desertification in Otindag Sandy Land and its surrounding regions (in Chinese). J Soil Water Conserv 18(5):99–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu SL, Wang T, An PJ (2004b) Study on human activities in the process of land desertification (in Chinese). Arid Land Geogr 27(1):52–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) (2005) Ecosystems and human well-being: desertification synthesis. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC

  • Nicholson SE, Farrar TJ (1994) The influence of soil type on relationship between NDVI, rainfall and soil moisture in semiarid Botswana. I. NDVI response to rainfall. Remote Sens Environ 50:107–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Statistical Bureau of Xilingol Meng (SBXM) (2006) http://www.xlgl.gov.cn/bm/tjj/tjbg/05/13.htm

  • Sun W, Li BS (2002) The relation between coupling among the principal components of desertification factors and desertification in rear hills of Bashang since 1950 (in Chinese). Geogr Res 21:392–397

    Google Scholar 

  • Tainton NM (1999) Veld management in arid and semi-arid grazing systems. J Biogeogr 29:1595–1618

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsoar H (2005) Sand dunes mobility and stability in relation to climate. Physica A 357:50–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang GL, Lv DR, You L (2002) Analyses of climatic characteristics on Hunshandake Dust Storm (in Chinese). Clim Environ Res 7(4):433–439

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang T, Wu W, Xue X, Zhang W, Han Z, Sun Q (2003) Timespace evolution of desertification land in northern China. J Desert Res 23(3):230–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang XM, Chen FH, Dong ZB (2006) The relative role of climatic and human factors in desertification in semiarid China. Global Environ Change 1–10

  • Wolfe SA (1997) Impact of increased aridity on sand dune activity in the Canadian Prairies. J Arid Environ 36:421–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu JW, Zhao TN, Lu RJ (2003) Development and reasons of sandy desertification in Hunshandake Sandy Land during the modern period (in Chinese). Sci Soil Water Conserv 1(4):36–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Wulan T, Alatan T, Chang A, Yu S (2001) Remote sensing and GIS analysis of latest features of Hun Shan Da Ke deserting soil (in Chinese). J Inner Mong Normal Univ (Natural Science Edition) 30(4):356–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu Wei (eds) (2005) Study on dynamic evolvement of modern sandy desertified land in Horqin Region China. Sea Press, Beijing, pp 34–101

  • Xue X, Wang T, Wu W, Sun Q, Zhao C (2005) The desertification development and its causes of agro-pastoral mixed regions in north China. J Desert Res 25:520–528

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang SK (1964) Vegetation of Small Tengger Sandy Land in Inner Mongolia (in Chinese). J Geogr 8:32–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Ye DZ, Chou JF, Liu JY, Zhang ZX, Wang YM, Zhou ZJ, Ju HB, Huang HQ (2000) Causes of sand-stormy weather in Northern China and contral measures (in Chinese). Acta Geogr Sin 55(5):513–521

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao HL, Zhao XY, Zhou RL, Zhang TH, Drake S (2005) Desertification processes due to heavy grazing in sandy rangeland, Inner Mongolia [J]. J of Arid Environ 1–11

  • Zheng YR, Xie ZX, Robert C, Jiang LH, Shimizu H (2006) Did climate derive ecosystem change and induce desertification in Otindag sandy land, China over the past 40 years? J Arid Environ 64:523–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu ZD (eds) (1999) Formation, distribution and characteristics of desert and rules of blown sand movement in China. Sand desert, sandy desertification, desertification and control in China. China Environmental Science Press, Beijing, pp 129–130

  • Zhu ZD, Liu S (eds) (1981) Desertification processes and its combating regionalism in the North China. Forestry Press of China, Beijing, pp 56–61

Download references

Acknowledgments

Funding for this study, provided by National Key Planning Development for Basic Research (973 Program), No. G2000048705, was greatly appreciated. Thanks very much for advices of Dr. X.M. Wang. We also thank unnamed journal referees for their comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Institute of Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 320 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China

    Shulin Liu & Tao Wang

Authors
  1. Shulin Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tao Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shulin Liu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liu, S., Wang, T. Aeolian desertification from the mid-1970s to 2005 in Otindag Sandy Land, Northern China. Environ Geol 51, 1057–1064 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0375-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0375-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation