Developing stages and causes of desertification in the Mu Us sandland

Abstract

Based on historical aerial photography of three periods and together with field investigation, the status of desertification development after the 1950s in the Mu Us sandland was analyzed, the difference of the desertification developing speed at two stages was compared, and its possible causes were explored. The results show that the developing speed of desertification from the late 1970s to the early 1990s is apparently slowed down, compared with that from the late 1950s to the late 1970s and there exists an obvious recovery trend at the second stage. The difference between the two stages accounts for severely over-reclaiming, over-grazing and unrestricted cutting during the first stage, which are the main causes of desertification development in the semi-arid steppe and arid desert steppe areas.