Authors: Liu Wei Cao Shengkui Xi Haiyang Feng Qi
Publish Date: 2009/08/26
Volume: 53, Issue: 2, Pages: 273-290
Abstract
An analysis over historical times of the influence of natural factors such as climate geological activity existing landforms and the activity of aeolian sands on the desertification of oases and other lands in the Heihe River basin of northwestern China revealed that desertification occurred more or less quickly according to whether the prevailing climate was cold or warm respectively In the 1990s the area of desertified lands in the lower reaches of the Heihe River Ejin region was 291 greater than in the mid 1980s However the rate of desertification in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin was relatively slower only 94 from 1949 to 1990 or 027 per year Since 1990 the rate of desertification has been stable By 2000 the total area of land desertification in the mid to lower reaches of the Heihe River basin was 135084 km2 or 118 of the region monitored Of the total land desertification area the regions of Linze Gaotai Sunan Jiuquan Jia Yuguan and Jinta accounted for 170 171 143 085 028 and 939 respectively whereas the Ejin region’s 1143464 km2 accounted for 8465 indicating that land desertification in the lower Heihe River basin was particularly severe The causes responsible for the occurrence and development of land desertification in the Heihe River basin were analyzed
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