Combating desertification and rehabilitating degraded arid lands in Alashan, Inner Mongolia, China

Abstract

Alashan is an arid area in Inner Mongolia, China, and policies and researches to combat desertification are actively conducted by the local authorities. The airplane is used to broadcast the seeds (i.e., air seeding) of arid plants, Artemisia sphaerocephala, Hedysarum scoparium and Calligonum mongolicum, for the revegetation of wide degraded lands. The control of grazing is an important policy to avoid the degradation of lands. The cultivation of and medical plants is expected to be an alternative income source. The specific ecosystems in the alpine area of the Helanshan Mountains are protected as natural sanctuary.