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| Quantitative analysis of natural and anthropogenic effect on sandy desertification in the agropastoral transitional zone of northern Shaanxi Province in the near fifty years |
| Qi Yanbing, Chang Qingrui, Liu Mengyun, Liu Jing, Chen Tao |
| College of Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University，712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China |
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Abstract Desertification is a complicated process affecting by variety of natural conditions and human activities. In order to analyze the function of natural and human activity in desertification process, the agropastoral transitional zone of northern Shaanxi Province was selected as a case study area.By employing principal component analysis method, the seven factors during 1949 to 2000 were chosen, including temperature, precipitation, wind speed, population quantity, livestock quantity, cultivated land area and industrial gross output, to analyze the intensity of nature and human activity factors quantificationally. The results showed that: 1) Predictions call for the climate to become increasingly warmer and drier over the next several decades. The average wind speed decreased during the period. The population, livestock populations and gross industrial output increased significantly from 1949 to 2000, but the per capita cultivated land decreased significantly in the same period; 2) In the desertification process, nature factors contributed to 13.6%, and human activity combining with nature factors contributed to 75.31% in the agropastoral transitional zone of northern Shaanxi Province; 3) Fortunately, local officials have recognized the negative effects of desertification and paid more attention to controlling desertification. Planting shrubs to improve vegetation coverage is the main approach used for desertification control. Two projections have been applied to the agropastoral region of northern Shaanxi Province to control desertification: the “Three North Shelterbelt Program” and the “GrainforGreen Project”.
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Received: 01 March 2011
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