Semi-arid China Research Articles

Is Northern China Winning the Battle against Desertification?

Abstract Ten-day intervals of satellite data between 1982 and 1993 are used to investigate the status of biological productivity on a rangeland in semiarid China exposed to high grazing pressure. Linear trends for 64 km2 pixels are calculated through annual vegetation peak values, constructed by averaging the 6 Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values for August and September each year, and displayed in a GIS exposing the spatial and relative changes of biomass. Biological production, expressed as NDVI, has increased in general over the 12-year period and the correlation between precipitation and NDVI dynamic is tested. High increases are found for irrigated farmland along the Yellow River confirming a trend toward intensified cultivation and increased biomass from planted trees for farmland protection. Production on the rangeland has increased slightly without correspondence in rainfall. Instead, different measures implemented in the area to combat desertification are discussed as being likel...

Desertification and Rehabilitation in the Lower San Gong River Basin, Xin Jiang, China

Desertification in arid and semi-arid China is a serious problem. The purpose of this study is to understand the expansion of desertified land in the arid zone. Case study was performed in the Lower San Gong River, Xin Jiang, China as a typical case to study.The degree of the desertification and the relationship between the devastation and the salinization were analysed by comparing remote sensing data taken in 1977 and in 1987.It is suggested that suitable land use zoning, saving water for irrigation and breeding of salt-tolerant plants are necessary for the rehabilitation of this area.

Distribution, Structure and Origin of Desertified Landscapes in Arid and Semi-Arid China

Distribution, Structure and Origin of Desertified Landscapes in Arid and Semi-Arid China