关键词: 坝上, 浑善达克沙地, 植被演化, 荒漠化, 坝上, 浑善达克沙地, 植被演化, 荒漠化

Abstract: Bashang area of Hebei Province and Otindag Sandy Land of Inner Mongolia are key regions in desertification studies. Studies on vegetation development and desertification in this area are critically reviewed and commented. Vegetation degradation is the general trend during the past 6000 years in millennium scale. Although human cultivation has a relatively short history, vegetation degraded remarkably during the past 50 years. Vegetation degradation and desertification are strongly correlated with the frequently occurred sandstorms in Beijing area; however, the detailed mechanism is still unclear. Three key problems for future studies are suggested. They are: (1) Integrated study on a ecological transect from Beijing to Otindag Sandy Land; (2) Modeling vegetation development and aeolian activities; (3) Tempo-spatial patterns of desertification.

Key words: Bashang area, Otingdag Sandy Land, vegetation development, desertification, Bashang area, Otingdag Sandy Land, vegetation development, desertification