The establishment of a long-term oasis protection system can reverse desertification and land degradation in drylands, and improve ecosystem condition. 

Therefore, understanding the long-term effects of oasis protection system could be critical for sustainable ecosystem management in water-limited environments. 

Recently, scientist from Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources (NIEER) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with his colleagues from famous universities and research institutes at home and abroad, evaluated the long-term ecological effects of establishing an oasis protection system on vegetation and soil properties along a protection gradient in a typical desert-oasis ecotone of northwestern China. 

The study showed that a oasis-protection system could reduce wind erosion, improve soil fertility and favor the development of herbaceous plant understory community. 

However, the tree-and shrub-plantation belts in this system could increase soil salinity, sodicity, and desiccation in deep soil layers, which was likely to diminish the long-term stability of the oasis-protection system. 

Therefore, scientists demonstrated that 40 years after establishing an oasis protection system, there could be both positive and negative ecosystem effects. 

The study results indicate that the positive effects of oasis-protection systems need to be weighed against the long-term negative consequences of soil salt accumulation and desiccation that can occur in frequently used shrub-and tree plantations, which limits future plant regeneration and ecosystem recovery. 

This study improves understanding of the long-term effects of establishing an oasis-protection system on soil and vegetation properties in a desert ecosystem. 

Besides, scientists also suggest that future research is conducted to understand the inter-relationships between woody overstory, herbaceous understory, soil water and nutrients, particularly over the long-term, can improve future protection measures against desertification. 

This research has been published on the CATENA in an article entitled “Ecological effects of establishing a 40-year oasis protection system in a northwestern China desert”. 

Contact: 

WANG Guohua 

Wangguohua2021@163.com 

Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.