Wind Erosion in Arid and Semiarid China: An Overview

Abstract

Wind erosion is mainly a phenomenon in arid and semiarid areas where precipitation is rare, vegetation is sparse, wind is strong and frequent, and the loose ground surface material is susceptible to blowing away by wind (Skidmore 1986a; Hagen 1991). Wind erosion is a severe environmental problem deserving study. It is estimated that the degraded area caused by wind erosion amounts to 5.05 million km2, accounting for 46.4% of the global degraded land (UNEP ISRIC 1990). The vast expanse of arid and semiarid lands in China has been experiencing very severe wind erosion (Zhu et al. 1989). Dry subhumid lands are also frequently threatened by wind erosion when strong winds coincide with dry periods. Ci and Wu (1997), using the method suggested by Thornthwaite (1948), estimated that China's arid and semiarid land (including hyper arid and dry subhumid) is about 3.57 million km2 and involves 12 provinces in the north (Figure 1), which accounts for 37.2% of the nation's total land, of which hyer arid, arid, semiarid and dry subhumid land is about 0.253, 1.427, 1.139, and 0.751 million km2, respectively. All this land experiences wind …