The Shule River Basin is located in the northwest inland region of China and is a key node of the Belt and Road Initiative. In recent years, with the increasing intensity of global changes and economic and social activities, problems, such as the rapid expansion of construction land and desertification have affected the sustainable development of regional ecology and economic society. The Shule River Basin is located at the center of the northern sand prevention belt of China, and an evaluation of its wind prevention and sand fixation value is of great ecological significance for building a regional ecological security pattern and ensuring sustainable development of the basin. On the basis of the revised wind erosion equation model, the value of wind prevention and sand fixation in the Shule River Basin from 2008 to 2018 was evaluated. The results are as follows: (1) The total amount of wind prevention and sand fixation in the Shule River Basin from 2008 to 2018 was 43.927×10⁴ to 129.530×10⁴ t·km⁻², with an increasing trend in wind prevention and sand fixation capacity. (2) The value of wind prevention and sand fixation in the Shule River Basin rapidly increased from 2008 to 2018, with an annual average value ranging from high to low to reduce the value of land loss (99.46%), maintain the value of soil fertility (0.47%), maintain the value of soil organic matter (0.04%), and reduce the value of economic loss of transportation (0.03%). (3) The function of wind prevention and sand fixation in river basins is closely related to land use. Among them, the areas with stronger windproof and sand-fixing capability are primarily distributed in grassland, cropland, and other areas with higher vegetation cover; the low-value areas are primarily distributed in unused land of the land use type of the river basin. (4) Natural indicator factors have a greater impact on the value of wind and sand fixation functions in river basins than social factors. These findings can provide a basis for determining the subject and object of ecological compensation and compensation standards in the Shule River Basin.

The southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert of China belongs to the desert-oasis ecological transition zone, and the temporal and spatial changes in land surface properties are significant. The underlying surface properties and hydrothermal characteristics are unique. Therefore, it is of great significance to investigate the characteristics of micrometeorological elements in this region for future climate change. Based on meteorological element data measured through the land-atmosphere interaction observatory on the northern side of the Tibetan Plateau in 2022, the wind, temperature, and humidity profile structure, radiation flux, and energy exchange characteristics of the ecological transition zone on the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert were analyzed. The results show the following: (1) The wind speed, temperature, and specific humidity of the southern margin of the Taklimakan Desert change significantly with increasing altitude, and the temperature and specific humidity profiles of the inversion and humidity inversions occur in the temperature and specific humidity profiles, the heights of the inversion layer and the inversion humidity layer reach 30 m, the maximum average wind speed occurs in spring at 6.23 m·s⁻¹, and the maximum average temperature and specific humidity are 28.93 ℃ and 6.36 g·kg⁻¹ in summer, respectively. (2) The surface radiation balance of the four seasons is mainly positive, and there are differences in the peak size and occurrence time of each radiation component, among which downward shortwave radiation is affected by sand and dust weather, which is manifested in spring>autumn>summer>winter. The surface albedo was negatively correlated with the solar altitude angle and soil moisture, with an annual average of 0.326, with the highest in December (0.366) and the lowest in August (0.297). (3) Sensible heat, soil heat flux, and net radiation changed significantly in the four seasons; the latent heat changed steadily, fluctuating up and down with 0 W·m⁻² as the center, and the energy consumption was dominated by sensible heat. The energy closure rates of the four seasons were 76%, 82%, 53%, and 48%, respectively, which were manifested in summer>spring>autumn>winter. (4) The effective energy varies significantly in the four seasons, with positive values during the day and heat sources on the ground, indicating that the ground transports heat to the atmosphere, whereas, at night, it is the opposite, exhibiting spring>summer>autumn>winter. These findings can provide a scientific basis for the parameterization of land surface processes in the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in the future and improve the understanding of land surface processes in this area.

It is crucial to identify regional land use conflicts from the perspective of ecological security and effectively manage the coordination between urban development and land use. This study develops a land use conflict measurement model within the theoretical analysis framework of land use conflict and the pressure-state-response model, incorporating ecosystem service value and ecological risk evaluation factors. The spatiotemporal evolution patterns of land use conflict in Urumqi City, Xinjiang, China, for 2000, 2010, and 2020 are analyzed. Furthermore, the future land use simulation model is employed to simulate and predict changes in land use conflict by 2030. The results indicate the following: (1) From 2000 to 2020, more than 73% of Urumqi’s area was conflict-free or mildly conflicted. During this period, hotspots of land use conflicts expanded from the northern and southwestern areas of Urumqi City to mountainous woodlands in the northern and southern regions, as well as near alluvial fans on both sides of Dabancheng District’s salt lake. The cold spot areas were primarily concentrated in the central urban region and within the mountainous woodland areas in the eastern and southern parts. (2) Natural factors such as climate, topography, and geomorphology remain the predominant drivers of spatial variations in land use conflict intensity. (3) A positive spatial correlation exists between the value of ecosystem services and land use conflict, whereas a significant negative spatial correlation exists between ecological risk and land use conflict. (4) In 2030, despite the substantial increase in Urumqi’s land use zones with a high conflict rate, areas characterized by minimal or no conflicts continue to maintain their dominant position. This study provides a diagnostic index system and methodology for analyzing the Urumqi land use conflict, and serves as an example and offers scientific support for an in-depth understanding of the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and conflict mechanism of the Urumqi land use conflict.

Surface roughness, a conventional index widely applied in wind erosion protection, plays a crucial role in evaluating the effectiveness of engineering measures such as forest and sand barriers. Despite its prevalent use, practical applications reveal its limited accuracy. Consequently, we introduce a novel index termed “boundary layer displacement thickness”. Through wind tunnel simulations, we assessed the wind speed frequency distribution of various sandbag barriers. We computed the mean wind speed, wind prevention efficiency, and also scrutinized the wind speed flow field to validate the precision of both roughness and boundary layer displacement thickness measurements. The findings indicate that an increase in the length of the polylactic acid sandbag barrier corresponds to an upward trend in average wind speed. Specifically, the average wind speed within the 1.5-m and 2.0-m barriers is 1.13 and 1.24 times that of the 1.0-m barrier, respectively. Concurrently, wind prevention efficiency experiences a decline, with values exceeding 0.6 for the 1.0-m barrier, 0.5 for the 1.5-m barrier, and 0.4 for the 2.0-m barrier. Analysis of the wind velocity field data reveal that the high-speed zone expands as the barrier grid size increases, signifying a weakened protective effect with large sand barriers. Notably, the boundary layer displacement thickness demonstrates a consistent decreasing trend with increasing barrier size, aligning with the aforementioned pattern. However, surface roughness exhibits an anomalous pattern, initially decreasing and then increasing. In summary, the boundary layer displacement thickness proved to be more accurate and emerged as a promising supplementary reference indicator for evaluating the efficacy of wind erosion protection measures.

This paper employs the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection and the CNKI database to conduct a comprehensive analysis of desertification research on the Mongolian Plateau spanning the years 1980 to 2021. Using visualization software and bibliometric methods, this study reveals notable trends and shifts in the scholarly landscape. Key findings include the following: (1) A discernible increase in publications, rising from an average of 2 per year in 1980 to 96 in 2021, delineating a trajectory of gradual to fluctuating to rapid growth. Post-2000, English literature predominated, with authors affiliated predominantly with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The United States emerged as a primary collaborator. (2) The thematic focus evolved over time, with early attention on land desertification processes until 2000. Subsequently, research intensified on the causes of land desertification. The last decade saw a thematic shift toward ecological restoration of desertified land, with a particular emphasis on the sandy areas of Inner Mongolia before 2000. In the 21^st century, this focus expanded to the northern regions of China, primarily within the agricultural-pastoral ecotone. Notably, the research spotlight shifted to the grassland areas of northern China during 2011—2021. (3) Research trajectories delineate a progression from the exploration of the concept and causes of land desertification, along with prevention and control strategies during 1980—2000. Subsequently, attention has shifted to the environmental effects of land desertification in the 21^st century. The period of 2017—2021 witnessed a surge in studies investigating ecosystem services and the restoration of desertified land, emerging as a prominent research theme. Considering these insights, future research directions should pivot toward a holistic examination of the Mongolian Plateau, emphasizing the integration of multisource data to enhance information accuracy. This approach is vital for advancing the ecological functions of desertified land on the Mongolian Plateau and contributing to the establishment of a robust northern ecological barrier in China.

This study focuses on the barchan dunes situated in the hinterland of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang, China. Our observations tracked the morphological evolution of a specific dune as it transforms from a barchan dune to an irregular dune and back to a barchan dune under the influence of sandstorms. By examining the particle size of surface sand across different dune morphologies, we investigate the impact of sandstorms on the particle size distribution in barchan dunes. Our findings reveal the following: (1) The particle size of surface sand along the central axis of the windward slope remains constant before and after the deformation and recovery of the barchan dune. However, there is a gradual increase in coarseness from the dune’s base to its summit. This suggests that, under similar wind direction and force conditions, sandstorms exert minimal influence on the particle size distribution pattern on the windward slope of barchan dunes with comparable morphology. (2) Both the central axis and sand ridges of the barchan dune predominantly feature extremely fine and fine sand. The average content of extremely fine sand and fine sand is 83.07% and 82.81% on the central axis of the windward slope and the leeward slope, and 84.42% and 91.20% on the left and right sand ridges, respectively. Moreover, after the sandstorm, the surface sand of the recovered barchan dune exhibits well-sorted and consistent characteristics, with an overall finer particle size, indicating a significant influence of the sandstorm on the particle size characteristics of the surface sand. These results offer valuable insights into the spatial distribution pattern of surface sand in barchan dunes under the impact of sandstorms.

Check dams play an irreplaceable role in preventing and controlling soil erosion in the Loess Plateau of China. Accurately extracting check dam areas and their locations holds immense importance for soil and water conservation studies in the Loess Plateau of China. However, existing image classification methods lack consideration of the topographic features of check dams, leading to many misidentifications. This study proposes a method that combines object-based image analysis (OBIA) and deep learning to precisely identify check dam areas and their locations. First, a multiscale segmentation method based on an object-oriented approach is used to segment the multisource data. Deep learning is applied to identify check dams. The results from these processes were fused using majority voting to enhance the accuracy of check dam area extraction. Second, the river network within the basin is extracted based on digital elevation model data. Finally, the check dam areas and river network are intersected to determine the check dam locations. The results show that the precision and recall rates of this method are 81.97% and 90.94%, respectively, and an F1Score value of 89.70%, which is 21.94% higher than the methods using only OBIA. Additionally, the accuracy and completeness of automatically identified check dam locations are 81.08% and 88.89%, respectively. This method provides important data for the optimal spatial layout of check dams in the Loess Plateau and for the evaluation of soil and water loss.

Comparing the actual ecological sensitivity surveys with observed interpretation results for verification and correction is of great theoretical and practical importance to improve the accuracy and scientific rigor of ecological sensitivity evaluations. Herein, we focus on evaluating land desertification sensitivity in Shaanxi Province using indices constructed from remote sensing interpretation and climate observation data. The goal is to verify sensitivity evaluation results with the actual results of the Fifth Desertification and Sandification Survey in Shaanxi Province, analyze any differences, and ultimately refine the land desertification sensitivity results. The key findings are as follows: (1) The observation and interpretation results show notable spatial differences in land desertification sensitivity across Shaanxi Province. Particularly, the extremely sensitive areas are concentrated in Yulin, Yan’an, and Weinan cities in Shaanxi Province. (2) Actual survey results from the Fifth Desertification and Sandification Survey reveal that land sandification is primarily distributed in the northern regions of Yulin City along the Great Wall. (3) The difference characteristics show that 92.5% of the actual survey results of land sanding areas and land sanding sensitivity evaluation results exhibit spatial overlap. However, when assessing extremely sensitive land sandification areas and land sandification areas having spatial overlap between them, the overlap drops to 71.8%. (4) Various factors contribute to these discrepancies, including data source, model construction, and indicator assignment errors. (5) After addressing these discrepancies, the revised sensitivity evaluation of land desertification in Shaanxi Province shows that extremely sensitive areas are primarily located in Yulin City, northern Yan’an City, and Dali County in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province. The revised evaluation expands the area of extremely sensitive land desertification by 110.41 km² compared to the observation and interpretation-based sensitivity evaluation of land desertification.

Megaripple stripes (MRS) are an enigmatic eolian bedform pattern characterized by alternating megaripples corridor (MRC) and smaller bedform corridor (SBC), oriented crosswise to the prevailing wind direction. MRCs have taller bedforms, longer wavelengths, and coarser surface sediments compared with the intervening SBCs. MRSs are widely distributed across the middle and southern margins of the Qaidam Basin, Qinghai Province of China, but their comprehensive study remains limited. Analyzing MRS surface sediments can provide a reference for the subsequent study on its formation and evolution, along with the erosion and deposition processes of eolian sand. Herein, 112 surface sediment samples were collected from the middle and southern margins of the Qaidam Basin. The physical (grain size characteristics) and chemical properties (major and trace elements) of these sediment samples were analyzed. The results of this study are as follows: (1) MRCs primarily consist of gravel and very fine sand, with gravel and very fine sand contents ranging from 44.24% to 50.19% and 15.91% to 20.42%. The grain size frequency curve of MRCs shows a bimodal distribution. Conversely, SBCs are primarily composed of very coarse and fine sands, varying from 26.00% to 35.90% and 14.80% to 20.47%. The grain size frequency curve of SBCs shows a trimodal distribution. (2) MRS sorting parameters are poor and exhibit positive and negative skewness but primarily positive skewness. MRS kurtosis is relatively wide to very wide. (3) There are no considerable differences in the content of chemical elements between MRCs and SBCs. The major elements of MRS primarily consist of SiO₂ and Al₂O₃, with the highest SiO₂ content of ~63% and Al₂O₃ content hovering at ~10%. The trace elements, such as Cr, Co, Mo, and Ba, play a dominant role compared to the upper continental crust, Cr and Mo elements show an enriched state, while other elements show signs of leaching. (4) MRS sedimentary environment in the middle and southern margin of the Qaidam Basin is cold and dry. These areas have experienced low chemical weathering, with relatively stable chemical weathering. Compositionally, they closely resemble the upper continental crust and are in the early stage of continental weathering.

Accurate monitoring of runoff from small and medium-sized rivers is of great significance for ecological stability in arid areas. However, it is difficult to accurately retrieve the flow of small and medium-sized rivers by remote sensing. Taking the Zhongfengchang river section of Kashi River in Nilka County, Xinjiang, China, as an example, this study constructed a power function relationship model between river width, water depth, and discharge based on the relationship fitting method and measured hydrological data, unmanned aerial vehicle data, and satellite data. Using the time series of satellite data, the runoff volume of the monitored river section was inferred 24 times in different periods. The results show that when the runoff rate is 0-50 m³·s^-1 and 50-100 m³·s^-1, the inversion of the runoff rate based on the hydraulic geometry of the river width is optimal, with root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 7.15 m³·s^-1 and 2.81 m³·s^-1, respectively; when the runoff rate is 100-200 m³·s^-1 and >200 m³·s^-1, the inversion of the hydraulic geometry based on water depth and river width is the best, with RMSEs of 13.37 m³·s^-1 and 1.06 m³·s^-1, respectively. These findings provide a new method for the fine monitoring and management of runoff of small and medium-sized rivers in areas lacking hydrologic data and have high reference value for flood disaster prediction, hydropower resource development, and water ecosystem restoration.

This study uses a minimal cumulative resistance model to explore the suitability of a residential area layout from the perspective of ecology and construction and studies network relations of residential areas through social network analysis. Starting from the significance of the overall residential area suitability and individuals, this study also identifies various types of residential development in Wuqi County, Yan’an City, Shaanxi Province, China. The following results are presented. (1) The rural residential areas in Wuqi County have zonal distribution, and a clustering feature is observed in a scattered distribution. The terrain and traffic conditions are the key constraints to determining the residential area distribution in the loess hilly and gully regions. Additionally, the overall clustering degree is low, and the average scale is 1500 m². (2) Suitability zoning is conducted using the minimal cumulative resistance model to consider the suitability of land use in rural residential areas under the constraints of an ecological environment. In accordance with zoning results, the suitable construction area, buffer zone, and ecological protection area show the characteristics of “overall agglomeration and partial dispersion”. A total of 62.83% of rural residential areas are situated in the suitable construction area and the overall layout is reasonable, but the layout of some residential areas has exerted impacts on the regional ecological stability. (3) Considering the results of network analysis, one central node is found at least in a village and town. However, the existing residential area network structure of some towns is not uniform and the existing network structure cannot boost the development of surrounding nodes. Therefore, village nodes with large development potential should be cultivated to promote the balanced development of villages and towns. (4) On the basis of the results of suitability zoning and network analysis, the zoning can be divided into the following four types: “direct town type”, “prior development type”, “conditional development type”, and “restricted expansion type”, and the corresponding development focuses are introduced. The research results can provide a reference for rational planning and rural residential development in the loess hilly and gully regions.

Aerodynamic roughness is defined as the height at which the wind speed becomes zero under neutral and stable conditions. It is an important parameter for measuring the momentum and energy exchange between the underlying surface and atmosphere, and it is critical for investigating various surface processes and climate change. However, it has always been difficult to estimate aerodynamic roughness accurately at the regional scale, and there is no unified estimation model presently. Therefore, the parameterization of aerodynamic roughness is a topic worthy of further study. As a long-range monitoring method, remote sensing technology has the advantages of macroscopic and rapid acquisition of ground feature information, and its ability to achieve dynamic monitoring at the regional scale or a larger scale in estimating the aerodynamic roughness of vegetation-covered surfaces. Therefore, using remote sensing technology to estimate aerodynamic roughness has become a hot issue at home and abroad in recent years. In this study, the progress of research on aerodynamic roughness at home and abroad in recent years is systematically described. The estimation methods are divided into two categories: one is based on measured data, and the other is the remote sensing method, which is rapidly advancing. This study primarily introduces the method of estimating the aerodynamic roughness of the underlying surface of vegetation by remote sensing technology. Methods based on measured data include the canopy height fixed ratio method, field experiment method, and wind tunnel method; remote sensing methods include vegetation index, LIDAR, and multisource remote sensing synergistic methods. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods are summarized at the end of each section. Finally, this study analyses the influence of meteorological factors and morphological characteristics of surface roughness elements on aerodynamic roughness and discusses the development trends and problems of remote sensing techniques in estimating aerodynamic roughness, aiming to provide ideas for subsequent research on remote sensing monitoring of aerodynamic roughness.

Although large-scale ripples (LSRs) are widely distributed in various desert regions of the globe, there are few studies on LSR in China. Through field investigations and observation, remote sensing imagery analysis by Google Earth, and a laser particle size analyzer, spatial distribution patterns and fundamental morphometric and grain size features of both individual and collective forms of LSRs in the Korqin Sandy Land of China are explored. Furthermore, coarse grain sources, differences in granulometric distribution, morphometric features, interior sedimentary structures between LSRs and common ripples, and differences between sands from LSR and common wind ripple are discussed in this study. The results are as follows: (1) LSRs are primarily concentrated on the central and northern parts of Ongniud Bannar, the western extreme of Korqin Sandy Land, and close to or surrounding nearby rocky mountains; they are also primarily distributed in the southern zone of the middle Xilamulun River, on the eastern banks of the Xiangshui River, in the area of the Songshu Mountain, and on the fluvial plain of the lower Chaganmulun River. (2) In line with the dimension, shape, and location of LSRs, plot-, patch-, and stripe-shaped LSR spatial units can be recognized, which are mainly generated on such geomorphic positions as broad interdune, central and upper stoss of a dune, and trough-like lowland, respectively. (3) The average length of LSR is 6.32 m, with an obvious spatial difference; the average strike is NE-SW, significantly perpendicular to the local predominant wind direction and with an insignificant spatial difference; the average spacing is 1.68 m, with a spatial difference; individual LSR has a dissymmetric cross-section. (4) The grains of LSR are comparatively coarser, belonging to the class of middle-coarse sand, which are, however, thinner than those in northwestern China, West Asia, and North Africa; coarse grains are mainly derived from fluvial sediments on ancient river channels, underlying fluvial-lacustrine sediments of late Quaternary, and weathering crusts and alluvial deposits on foothills of nearby denuded mountains. (5) There are considerable differences in appearance, grain composition, geometric morphology, and internal sedimentary structure between LSRs and common sand ripples, which are the small-scale perpendicular bedforms among aeolian depositional landforms and can superimpose on the surfaces of various dunes. The research will, to some extent, advance the principle theories of aeolian geomorphology and effective sand-control practice.

Research on the evolution characteristics of loess erosion and the development of watershed geomorphic systems in the Loess Plateau of China is a hotspot in the study of loess landforms, and many related scientific issues still need to be studied. Most previous studies have focused on the erosion and development characteristics of watershed geomorphology, but there is a lack of research on indepth analysis of the geomorphic evolution characteristics of loess small watersheds with multiple rock and soil layers in the field from the perspective of watershed geomorphology system and its potential energy information entropy (PEIE). Therefore, based on the viewpoint and method of system theory, mathematical models of the geomorphic system and its PEIE of a small loess watershed with multiple rock and soil layers were built. Taking the Xindiangou small watershed at Suide County, Shaanxi Province, China as the research sample area, the digital elevation model data of 5 periods from 2000 to 2019 were used to investigate the entropy change law of the PEIE and the characteristics of landform evolution in the watershed. The results show that from 2000 to 2019, the geomorphic evolution process dominated by loess erosion in the Xindiangou small watershed is the process of entropy reduction of its PEIE and continuous erosion of the loess landform. Combined with the entropy change of PEIE in the Xindiangou small watershed and the indoor small watershed, it is speculated that the watershed geomorphic system will form a W-shaped PEIE change curve in its complete geomorphic evolution process, and its PEIE can better indicate the watershed geomorphic development demarcation points in its infancy, maturity, and old age. The research results also confirm the effectiveness of the conceptual model of the loess watershed geomorphic system and its mathematical model of PEIE in the numerical simulation of the Xindiangou small watershed. This model is an extension of the existing mathematical model of PEIE of watershed geomorphic systems with homogeneous single loess layers, which can be used in heterogeneous multiple rock and soil layer loess watershed geomorphic systems and has wider applicability. The research results provide ideas for further research on the geomorphic formation mechanism and evolution law of the Xindiangou small watershed in the future and guide soil and water conservation, ecological restoration, and regional sustainable development of the Xindiangou small watershed, which has important theoretical significance and good application prospects.

The landscape diversity index (LDI) is not only an important indicator in landscape ecology research but also an important component in biodiversity conservation. Based on the land use/cover raster data (30-m resolution), the spatiotemporal variation and scale-dependence characteristics of the LDI of an oasis along the Yellow River in Ningxia, China, have been studied using Neighborhood and Focal tools in ArcMap from 1975 to 2000. The results are as follows: (1) The LDI, which is measured by a square with a side length from 90 m to 6000 m, had obvious spatial scale-dependent characteristics based on five times repeat, and its turning point was 3000 m. (2) The change trend of the LDI had been cyclical in the past decades, with a turning point of 2000. During the study period, the LDI exhibited a decreasing trend from 1975 to 2000, and the analysis of LDI zoning indicated that the main characteristics were as follows: the class area (CA) of the degraded area was the largest, and the CA of the improved area was the smallest, which were 6840 km² and 1332 km², respectively. In contrast, there was an increasing trend for the LDI from 2000 to 2020, mainly characterized by the maximum CA in the impervious area and the minimum CA in the degraded area, which were 7848 km² and 792 km², respectively. Because the initial LDI in 2000 was the lowest in the entire period, its improvement status in the later period did not reach that of the early period. (3) The conversions of the LDI-grading area were mainly characterized by the transfer from the early improved area to the late impervious area (796 km², 60.5% of the improved area) and the transfer from the degraded area to the impervious area (3519 km², 51.5% of the degraded area) and the improved area (3036 km², 44.4% of the degraded area), respectively. (4) The change in the landscape diversity pattern was characterized by a negative correlation between CA and relative splitting index, and this relationship mechanism was universal in different periods and change types. Thus, it is to best understand the landscape diversity change with credible spatiotemporal scales in a regional landscape study. It is necessary to ensure that the research results are not only used for reference and sharing but also used to visualize and analyze regional landscape diversity.