Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9447834 | Journal of Arid Environments | 2005 | 11 Pages |
Abstract
We conducted a grazing experiment from 1992 to 1996 in Inner Mongolia to explore desertification processes of sandy rangeland. The results show that continuous heavy grazing results in a considerable decrease in vegetation cover, height, standing biomass and root biomass, and a significant increase in animal hoof impacts. As a result, small bare spots appeared on the ground and later merged into larger bare areas in the rangeland. Total bare area reached up to 52% and the average depth of wind erosion was 25Â cm in the fifth year of the study. We conclude that sandy rangeland with wind-erodible soil is susceptible to desertification. Heavy grazing of such rangeland should be avoided.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Earth-Surface Processes
Authors
H.-L. Zhao, X.-Y. Zhao, R.-L. Zhou, T.-H. Zhang, S. Drake,