The Expansion of Desert Shrubs Since 1986 Has Contributed Over Half of the Sand Greening in Ordos, China

Bibliographic Data

ID21648523
AuthorsZhijun Fu (0009-0004-9662-8755, School of Electronic Engineering Naval University of Engineering Wuhan Hubei China), Hongwei Zeng (0000-0003-0714-5539, State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Aerospace Information Research Institute Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China), Bingfang Wu (0000-0001-5546-365X, State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Aerospace Information Research Institute Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China, corresponding author), Jingyi Ding (0000-0002-4120-6318, State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science Beijing Normal University Beijing China), Fuyou Tian (0000-0003-1758-8763, State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Aerospace Information Research Institute Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China), Zonghan Ma (0000-0002-9261-7942, State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Aerospace Information Research Institute Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China)
Year2026
Volume37
Issue2
Pages670-688
Publication date2026-01-30
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLand Degradation and Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1085-3278 • E-ISSN: 1099-145X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ldr.70134
OpenAlexW4413296358
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited56

Desert shrubs are increasingly recognized as a key component in desertification control across the drylands of China. However, their long‐term dynamics and specific contributions to combating desertification remain poorly understood, primarily due to the lack of high‐resolution and long‐term monitoring data. To address this gap, we developed an optimized classification framework that integrates time‐series change detection with time‐independent classification methods. Using this approach, we produced an annual desert shrub dataset for the Ordos region, spanning from 1986 to the present. The dataset achieved an average overall accuracy of 90.03% (± 2.45%), demonstrating its reliability in capturing the spatiotemporal dynamics of desert shrubs. Analysis revealed a progressive land cover transition, from bare sand to sparse grass and ultimately to desert shrub, highlighting a broader trend of sandy land greening. Over the past 38 years, the desert area has declined by approximately 19,569 km 2 , while the extent of desert shrubs has more than doubled, increasing from 14.06% to 31.42% of the landscape. Furthermore, 44.41% of the pixels showed a statistically significant ( p

Archaeology · Biology · China · Geography · Greening · Physical geography · Political science · Aeolian processes and effects · Environmental Science · Soil erosion and sediment transport · Tree Root and Stability Studies · Ecology · Geology

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