Psammophytes and vegetation is the most effective, economic and durable way to controlling and managing desertification. Aeolian activity is one of the main geological agents in arid and semi-arid regions, especially in desert and desertified lands.  

Scientists from CAREERI (Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute) summarized the research status about the influence of near surface sand flow on psammophytes and psammophilous vegetation and their ecological adaptive strategies to aeolian habitats.  

The research pointed out the research direction and contents need more intensified research in the influence of near surface sand flow on psammophytes and psammophilous vegetation to provide science and technology support for vegetation restoration and rebuilding, in arid and semi-arid regions, seed selection for windbreak and sand fixation vegetation building, and sustainable grassland management. 

This program is financially supported by the “program of science and technology support Gansu” and the knowledge innovation project of CAS (KZCX2-EW-313-03). This paper has been published on the Journal of Desert Research, Vol. 34 No.5, Sep. 2014.