Rocky Land Desertification and its Driving Forces in the Karst Areas of Rural Guangxi,Southwest China

With a subtropical climate,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has a typical karst landscape.Rocky desertification has become a serious environmental issue due to its high vulnerability caused by the joint effect of natural settings and human activities,because of which its eco-environment has been deteriorated in recent years,and farmland has been disappearing sharply at the same time.This,in turn,has exacerbated the poverty level in the rural areas of the region.In this study,we monitored the spatial distribution of rocky land desertification and its temporal evolution using Landsat TM/ETM images of 1985,1995,2000 and 2005.We also analyzed the driving forces of the desertification and its expansion.Through constructing regression models by using all the relevant variables and considering the lagged effects as well as fixed effects,we quantified the exact role of different factors causing rocky land desertification in the study area with some new findings.The new findings in this study are greatly helpful for preserving,restoring and reconstructing the degraded mountain environment in Guangxi and other karst areas in Southwest China,and also for alleviating poverty in the rural areas in the future.

Development of land desertification in Bashang area in the past 20 years

Natural conditions in Bashang area are characterized by zonal transitions which are liable to be impacted by natural disasters and intensified human activities. The extremely fragile eco-environment is also liable to have desertification formed and developed. In the 18 years from 1978 to 1996, the desertified land area of Bashang within the scope of the map nearly doubled, a total increase of 2199.11 km2, averaging an increase of 122.17 km2 per year. Moreover, the seriously desertified area increases rapidly. Land desertification in Bashang is the combined result of natural factors and irrational human economic activities. Cultivated land expansion, population growth, and overgrazing aggrevate desertification development.

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF SOIL ORGANIC CARBON IN RESERVED DESERTIFICATION AREA——A Case Study in Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, China

Soil organic carbon (SOC) was considered to be a key index in evaluation of soil degradation and soil C sequestration. To discuss the spatial-temporal dynamics of SOC in arable layer in reversed desertification area, a case study was conducted in Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, China. Data of SOC were based on general soil survey in 1982 and repeated soil sampling in 2003. Soil organic carbon content (SOCC) was determined by K2Cr3O7-FeSO4 titration method, and soil organic carbon density (SOCD) was calculated by arithmetic average and area weighted average method, respectively. On average, SOCC and SOCD of the arable layer in the study area from 1982 to 2003 had increased 0.51g/kg and 0.16kg/m2, respectively. Considering main soil types, the widest distributed Arid-Sandic Entisols had lowest values and increments of SOCC and SOCD during the study period; while the second widest Los-Orthic Entisols had higher values and increments of SOCC and SOCD, compared to the mean values of the whole region. The results indicated that reversed desertification process was due to the modification of land use and management practices, such as natural vegetation recovery, planting grass, turning arable land to grassland, and soil and water conservation etc., which can improve SOCC and SOCD and thus enhance soil C sequestration.

Remote Sensing Image Classification Based on Decision Tree in the Karst Rocky Desertification Areas: A Case Study of Kaizuo Township

Karst rocky desertification is a phenomenon of land degradation as a result of affection by the interaction of natural and human factors.In the past,in the rocky desertification areas,supervised classification and unsupervised classification are often used to classify the remote sensing image.But they only use pixel brightness characteristics to classify it.So the classification accuracy is low and can not meet the needs of practical application.Decision tree classification is a new technology for remote sensing image classification.In this study,we select the rocky desertification areas Kaizuo Township as a case study,use the ASTER image data,DEM and lithology data,by extracting the normalized difference vegetation index,ratio vegetation index,terrain slope and other data to establish classification rules to build decision trees.In the ENVI software support,we access the classification images.By calculating the classification accuracy and kappa coefficient,we find that better classification results can be obtained,desertification information can be extracted automatically and if more remote sensing image bands used,higher resolution DEM employed and less errors data reduced during processing,classification accuracy can be improve further.

Research on Model Construction and Technique Support for Integrated Rehabilitation of Rock Desertification in Chaoying Small Watershed of Bijie Test Area of Guizhou Province

Selecting Chaoying small watershed with representative karst rocky desertification in the Bijie test area of Guizhou Province as an example, according to karst rocky desertiflcation degree and the existing eco-environmental problems in the small watershed, we study developmental model and technique support system for integrated rehabilitation of rocky desertification in the small watershed, and bring forward the development model and technique integration for integrated rehabilitation of rocky desertification, which adapt to the karst areas of Bijie test area, Guizhou Province and even South China.

Desertification evolution prediction for lake area of Minqin oasis based on integration of GIS and cellular automata

The Minqin oasis is surrounded on three sides by the Tengger Desert and the Badanjilin Desert, and it prevents these two deserts from converging. However, in recent years it has become the worst ecological environment in the Lake area due to deficient water resources, continual declines in the groundwater level and quality （increasing mineralization and salination）, which are causing in- creasing desertification. In this study, Landsat Thematic Mapper （TM） remote images from 1992, 1998, 2002, and 2006 of the Lake area of the Minqin oasis are interpreted to analyze the desertification evolution. A combination of an ArcObjects module and a cellular automata model is used to build a model simulating the desertification dynamics; the forecasting accuracy of this model is shown to reach up to 90%. The desertification situation in 2012 is forecasted by this model, and the results showed that, from 2006 to 2012, the green land area will be reduced by 999.92 hm2 （l.59 percent of the total oasis area）, the desertification land area will be reduced by 3,000.68 hrn2 （4.78 percent of the total oasis area）, and sand land area will increase by 4,000.6 hm2 （6.37 per- cent of the total oasis area）. The sand land is predicted to become more widespread, and more than 18% sand land will be distrib- uted in the center of green land in the Lake area. In other words, more and more abandoned green land （mined farm land） will be transformed into sand land, and this will intensify the desertification.

Impact of climate change and human activities on the spatiotemporal dynamics of surface water area in Gansu Province, China

Understanding the dynamics of surface water area and their drivers is crucial for human survival and ecosystem stability in inland arid and semi-arid areas.This study took Gansu Province,China,a typical area with complex terrain and variable climate,as the research subject.Based on Google Earth Engine,we used Landsat data and the Open-surface Water Detection Method with Enhanced Impurity Control method to monitor the spatiotemporal dynamics of surface water area in Gansu Province from 1985 to 2022,and quantitatively analyzed the main causes of regional differences in surface water area.The findings revealed that surface water area in Gansu Province expanded by 406.88 km2 from 1985 to 2022.Seasonal surface water area exhibited significant fluctuations,while permanent surface water area showed a steady increase.Notably,terrestrial water storage exhibited a trend of first decreasing and then increasing,correlated with the dynamics of surface water area.Climate change and human activities jointly affected surface hydrological processes,with the impact of climate change being slightly higher than that of human activities.Spatially,climate change affected the'source'of surface water to a greater extent,while human activities tended to affect the'destination'of surface water.Challenges of surface water resources faced by inland arid and semi-arid areas like Gansu Province are multifaceted.Therefore,we summarized the surface hydrology patterns typical in inland arid and semi-arid areas and tailored surface water'supply-demand'balance strategies.The study not only sheds light on the dynamics of surface water area in Gansu Province,but also offers valuable insights for ecological protection and surface water resource management in inland arid and semi-arid areas facing water scarcity.

Study on Depression Development Measures of Karst Rocky Desertification Area in Guizhou Province of China

In view of the current situation and environmental fragility of karst depression in Guizhou,the study proposed measures to utilize and explore it so as to promote economic development of Guizhou depression.

On the Poverty in the Rocky Desertification Areas of Southwest China Based on AHP: A Case Study of Liupanshui City in Guizhou Province

Karst rocky desertification mountain areas are regarded as main positions to wipe out poverty for their large poverty population,wide poverty area,high rate of poverty,etc. This paper takes Liupanshui city as an example where the situation of rocky desertification is very serious. We build the indicator system of poverty alleviation and development by analyzing their poverty and using the AHP method and also find the limiting factors which restrict the development of this area then put forward the recommendations to alleviate poverty.

Ecological Restoration of Rocky Desertification in Hongfeng Lake Karst Area Based on SWOT Analysis

In order to provide a reference for rocky desertification control in karst areas,we take the case of Hongfeng Lake Rocky Desertification Comprehensive Control Demonstration Area in Qingzhen City of Guizhou Province,and expound strength,weakness,opportunity and challenge in its ecological restoration,using SWOT analysis method in management sciences.And we finally put forth scientific strategies for ecological restoration in this demonstration area.

Prevention and Control Mode of Desertification in China＇s State Energy Group Shendong Mining Area with Annual Coal Output of 200 Million Tons

According to the strategic goal of sustainable development,construction and management for the construction of Shendong mining area with ecological safety,the ecological restoration principle of ＂ control protects development and development promotes control＂ for desertification prevention and control was adopted,and engineering measures,plant greening measures,and enclosure management and protection measures were taken to prevent and control desertification in the mining area based on careful detailed investigation and accurate planning and design in the early period. After 32 years,the desertification ecological landscape environment of the mining area has undergone a qualitative change,and the vegetation coverage has increased from 3%-8% to above 60% after the development. The former desertification land has become a modern green energy base that has produced 200 million tons of coal every year. The construction and management mode of an ecologically safe and modernized green coal mining area built by Shendong in the desertification region of northwestern China shows that taking appropriate comprehensive ecological restoration construction technology and management measures that integrate engineering,plants and enclosure management and protection is an effective technical and management paradigm for the construction of a modernized green large-scale coal mining area in China＇s arid and semi-arid regions.

Technical Specification for Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle( UAV) Monitoring of Rocky Desertification in Karst Area

Taking the opportunity of the third monitoring of rocky desertification in the karst area of China,Zigui County of Hubei Province applied Unmanned Aerial Vehicle( UAV) for the first time for monitoring. Through repeated trials and studies,it established technical requirements including the UAV monitoring technology for the rocky desertification,the feature point photographing,UAV video judgment of rocky desertification degree,UAV video correction misclassification subcompartment,and UAV video observation of rocky desertification control. It completed the third rocky desertification monitoring task of karst area in Zigui County.

Three-year Variations of Water, Energy and CO_2 Fluxes of Cropland and Degraded Grassland Surfaces in a Semi-arid Area of Northeastern China

Based on 3 years （2003-05） of the eddy covariance （EC） observations on degraded grassland and cropland surfaces in a semi-arid area of Tongyu （44°25′N, 122°52′E, 184 m a.s.1.）, Northeast China, seasonal and annual variations of water, energy and CO2 fluxes have been investigated. The soil moisture in the thin soil layer （at 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 m） clearly indicates the pronounced annual wet-dry cycle; the annual cycle is divided into the wet （growing season） and dry seasons （non-growing season）. During the growing season （from May to September）, the sensible and latent heat fluxes showed a linear dependence on the global solar radiation. However, in the non-growing season, the latent heat flux was always less than 50 W m^-2, while the available energy was dissipated as sensible, rather than latent heat flux. During the growing season in 2003-05, the daily average sensible and latent heat fluxes were larger on the cropland surface than on the degraded grassland surface. The cropland ecosystem absorbed more CO2 than the degraded grassland ecosystem in the growing season in 2003-05. The total evapotranspiration on the cropland was more than the total precipitation, while the total evapotranspiration on the degraded grassland was almost the same as the total annual precipitation in the growing season. The soil moisture had a good correlation with the rainfall in the growing season. Precipitation in the growing season is an important factor on the water and carbon budget in the semi-arid area.

Land-Air Interaction over Arid/Semi-arid Areas in China and Its Impact on the East Asian Summer Monsoon. Part I:Calibration of the Land Surface Model (BATS)Using Multicriteria Methods

To improve the land surface simulation in the arid and semi-arid areas of northern China, the observational data from two field experiments in Dunhuang and Tongyu are used to optimize the parameters in the land surface model, BATS, through calibration with the multicriteria method. Sensitivity analysis to the parameters in Dunhuang and Tongyu indicates that different parameters need to be calibrated in two sites with different environmental and climate regimes. Comparison of observed sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and ground surface temperature with the simulated ones shows the simulations with the optimized parameters have been substantially improved. Especially, the holistic simulations with the calibration of the parameter values are much closer to the observations in the arid region （Dunhuang）, and the energy partition with the calibrated parameters can also be simulated well in the semi-arid region （Tongyu）. Whole results demonstrate that the parameter calibration of the land surface model is important when the model is to be used to investigate the land-air interaction.

The causes of land landscape changes in semi-arid area of Northwest China: a case study of Yulin city

Rapid land landscape change has taken place in many arid and semi-arid regions such as the vulnerable ecological area over the last decade. In this paper, we quantified land landscape change of Yulin in this area between 1985 and 2000 using remote sensing and GIS. It was found that fallow landscape decreased by 125,148 hm^2 while grassland and woodland increased by 107,975 hm^2 and 17,157 hm^2, respectively. The major factors responsible for these changes are identified as the change in the government policy on preserving the environment, continued growth in mining, and urbanization. The efforts in restoring the deteriorated ecosystem have reaped certain benefits in reducing the spatial extent of sandy land through replacement by non-irrigated farmland, woodland and grassland. On the other hand, continued expansion of mining industry and urbanization has exerted adverse impacts on the land landscape. At present regional economic development conflicts directly with the protection of the natural environment. Such a conflict has caused the destruction to the land resources and fragmentation of the landscape accompanied by land desertification, the case is even serious in some localities.

Remote Sensing Parameterization of Land Surface Heat Fluxes over Arid and Semi-arid Areas

Dealing with the regional land surfaces heat fluxes over inhomogeneous land surfaces in arid and semi-arid areas is an important but not an easy issue. In this study, one parameterization method based on satellite remote sensing and field observations is proposed and tested for deriving the regional land surface heat fluxes over inhomogeneous landscapes. As a case study, the method is applied to the Dunhuang experimental area and the HEIFE (Heihe River Field Experiment, 1988-1994) area. The Dunhuang area is selected as a basic experimental area for the Chinese National Key Programme for Developing Basic Sciences: Research on the Formation Mechanism and Prediction Theory of Severe Climate Disaster in China (G1998040900, 1999-2003). The four scenes of Landsat TM data used in this study are 3 June 2000, 22 August 2000, and 29 January 2001 for the Dunhuang area and 9 July 1991 for the HEIFE area. The regional distributions of land surface variables, vegetation variables, and heat fluxes over inhomogeneous landscapes in arid and semi-arid areas are obtained in this study.

Artificial woodland degradation in semi-arid agro-pastoral transitional area： conceptual model and status assessment

Planting trees was used as one of cost-effective measures for desertification control in add and semi-add areas of China. Woodland degradation, however, is becoming an inevitable issue in these areas. In this paper, a typical county, Ejin Holo County, Inner Mongolia, China was selected for its assessment of artificial woodland degradation. A conceptual model for woodland degradation was delineated qualitatively based on field sampling survey, and four model-based indicators as humidity index （HI）, vegetation index （NDVI）, soil type （ST） and soil erosion modulus （EM） were screened out and used to a GIS-based method for artificial woodland degradation assessment in this semi-add agro-pastoral transitional area. All the indicator layers were overlaid and desertification assessed using simplified equation with equal weights for each indicators. The assessment results showed that in 336. 09 km^2 of total woodland area, 311.35 km^2 woodland were under degradation, and the area for slight, medium, severe degradation was 78.97, 119.73 and 112.65 km^2, respectively. It was suggested that much attention should be paid on woodland improvement and plant species selection, especially shrub species, before revegetation in similar areas.

Properties of Solar Radiation over Chinese Arid and Semi-Arid Areas

Climatic characteristics of broadband solarradiation (Rs) in Chinese arid and semi-arid areas are reported in this study. The annual average daily Rs in thearid and semi-arid areas is 16.3 ± 5.77 and 15.3 ± 5.16 MJm-2 d-1, respectively. The highest value (17.2 ± 5.84 MJm-2 d-1) appears in an arid area at Linze. The lowest valueappears in the semi-arid area of Ansai. Pronounced seasonal variation of Rs is observed with the highest value insummer and the lowest in winter. The clearness indexshowed similar seasonal pattern at most sites, with theminimum observed in the summer and the highest valuesin winter at both arid and semi-arid areas. The seasonalvariation of the ratio of Rs to its extraterrestrial value Kt inthe arid area is more significant than that observed in thesemi-arid region, and it is caused by the different range ofvariation of water vapor between arid and semi-arid areasThe seasonal fluctuations in Rs and Kt are mainly controlled by the water vapor content in these areas. Theaerosol particles have significant influence on Rs and Kt atstations with higher aerosol burden.

Applied research of landscape ecology in desertification monitoring and assessment

A preliminary research on landscape ecology in desertification monitoring and assessment was reported. Also, this paper laid stress on the study of landscape diversity, dominance, evenness and Markov Matrix model and their respective landscape ecological meanings in the desertification monitoring and assessment. Concurrently, it took Shazhuyu Experimental Area, Qinghai Province as a specific case study.

Film mulching treatment inf luences dry matter and yield of oil flax in semi-arid area of China

A feld study was set up to compare dry matter accumulation and grain yield of 3 different types of flm mulching, namely FFC （full flm muched on tiny ridges covered with soil）, PFC （full flm muched covered with soil）, and PF （full flm muched with no cover）. The experiment was laid out in a complete random design with 3 replications at north-west （34°40′N, 105°06′E） of China. This study determined that （1） flm mulching treatment increased leaf area and dry matter accumulation of oil fax in semi-arid areas; （2） accu-mulation of dry matter under PFC treatment was markedly higher than other treatments except anthesis stage; （3） average grain yield of oil fax under flm mulching treatment was 52.67%-60.33% higher than fat plot without mulched or ridge （CK） treatment; （4） grain yield of oil fax was substantially correlated with plant height, grain number and 1,000 kernels weight. This study demonstrated that flm mulching has signifcant effects on crop grain yield improvement in the northwest of China.