Hulun Buir grassesoverrun by sand
Source: Xinhua |
May 24, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S most pristine grassland is being overrun by sand, experts have said.
The grassland of the Hulun Buir Plateau, in northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is now the only one of China's major grassland areas still losing ground to desertification.
"Hulun Buir has one of China's four major sand areas," said Li Jianjun, from the agricultural and animal husbandry bureau in Hulun Buir City. "Except for Hulun Buir, the trend of desertification has been basically contained in the other three - Maowusu, Hunshandake and Horqin."
A survey this year showed Hulun Buir's sand area had expanded by 110,000 hectares since 1994 to reach 1.3 million hectares, reducing grassland coverage to 9.2 million hectares.
The Hulun Buir Grassland, in the northeast of Inner Mongolia and neighboring Mongolia, Russia and China's Heilongjiang Province, was among the world's most pristine grasslands, but it was damaged over the past decade by overgrazing, farming and severe drought, said Li.
"Before 1994, the sand area of Hulun Buir was estimated at 533,333 hectares, but people paid little attention to the growing desertification as the grassland coverage was still large," said Zhang Dezhu, director of the Forestry Bureau in Hulun Buir.
He said efforts to reverse desertification only began in earnest in 2005, resulting in the treatment of 66,666 hectares of sandy areas a year, and a grazing ban was partially implemented.
In contrast, the treatment of the Horqin sand area from 1995 to 2004 had helped green 770,000 hectares, and stopped desertification.
However, Horqin's sand coverage was estimated at 5.9 million hectares, much larger than that of Hulun Buir.
Zhang made a distinction between sandy regions and deserts, saying sandy areas could turn green naturally with sufficient rain.
However, Hulun Buir had suffered lingering droughts in the past decade. The pasture had also been degraded by 6 million sheep, he said.
Cao Zhenghai, Party chief of the city, said the central government had earmarked 150 million yuan (US$22 million) for anti-desertification programs in Hulun Buir this year. These were expected to restore greenery to 66,000 hectares. "We hope to curb the growing desertificaton in Hulun Buir in three to five years," Cao said.
The grassland of the Hulun Buir Plateau, in northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is now the only one of China's major grassland areas still losing ground to desertification.
"Hulun Buir has one of China's four major sand areas," said Li Jianjun, from the agricultural and animal husbandry bureau in Hulun Buir City. "Except for Hulun Buir, the trend of desertification has been basically contained in the other three - Maowusu, Hunshandake and Horqin."
A survey this year showed Hulun Buir's sand area had expanded by 110,000 hectares since 1994 to reach 1.3 million hectares, reducing grassland coverage to 9.2 million hectares.
The Hulun Buir Grassland, in the northeast of Inner Mongolia and neighboring Mongolia, Russia and China's Heilongjiang Province, was among the world's most pristine grasslands, but it was damaged over the past decade by overgrazing, farming and severe drought, said Li.
"Before 1994, the sand area of Hulun Buir was estimated at 533,333 hectares, but people paid little attention to the growing desertification as the grassland coverage was still large," said Zhang Dezhu, director of the Forestry Bureau in Hulun Buir.
He said efforts to reverse desertification only began in earnest in 2005, resulting in the treatment of 66,666 hectares of sandy areas a year, and a grazing ban was partially implemented.
In contrast, the treatment of the Horqin sand area from 1995 to 2004 had helped green 770,000 hectares, and stopped desertification.
However, Horqin's sand coverage was estimated at 5.9 million hectares, much larger than that of Hulun Buir.
Zhang made a distinction between sandy regions and deserts, saying sandy areas could turn green naturally with sufficient rain.
However, Hulun Buir had suffered lingering droughts in the past decade. The pasture had also been degraded by 6 million sheep, he said.
Cao Zhenghai, Party chief of the city, said the central government had earmarked 150 million yuan (US$22 million) for anti-desertification programs in Hulun Buir this year. These were expected to restore greenery to 66,000 hectares. "We hope to curb the growing desertificaton in Hulun Buir in three to five years," Cao said.
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