Plant Diversity and Succession of Artificial Vegetation Types and Environment in an Arid Desert Region of China

Abstract

Nearly 400 million of people in arid and semiarid regions in China are affected by desertification. Desertification is not only a major obstacle to the country's regional economic development but also poses a serious threat to the biodiversity, which constitutes a material basis for long-term human well-being. Consequently, mitigation of desertification is important to promoting sustainable development. This study describes the establishment and development of restorative sand-fixing vegetation in China's Shapotou region where railways have been affected by increasing problems of desertification, and further provides a theoretical basis for greater understanding of ecological mechanisms of restoring biodiversity decertified regions.