Please wait a minute...
Journal of Arid Land
Journal of Arid Land  2021, Vol. 13 Issue (1): 98-106    DOI: 10.1007/s40333-020-0071-0     CSTR: 32276.14.s40333-020-0071-0
Research article     
Damage by wind-blown sand and its control measures along the Taklimakan Desert Highway in China
LI Congjuan1,2, WANG Yongdong1,2,*(), LEI Jiaqiang1,2,*(), XU Xinwen1,2, WANG Shijie1,2,3, FAN Jinglong1,2, LI Shengyu1,2
1National Engineering Technology Research Center for Desert-Oasis Ecological Construction, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
2Taklimakan Desert Research Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Korla 841000, China
3Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Download: HTML     PDF(670KB)
Export: BibTeX | EndNote (RIS)      

Abstract  

Desertification is one of the most serious environmental problems in the world, especially in the arid desert regions. Combating desertification, therefore, is an urgent task on a regional or even global scale. The Taklimakan Desert in China is the second largest mobile desert in the world and has been called the ''Dead Sea'' due to few organisms can exist in such a harsh environment. The Taklimakan Desert Highway, the longest desert highway (a total length of 446 km) across the mobile desert in the world, was built in the 1990s within the Taklimakan Desert. It has an important strategic significance regarding oil and gas resources exploration and plays a vital role in the socio-economic development of southern Xinjiang, China. However, wind-blow sand seriously damages the smoothness of the desert highway and, in this case, mechanical sand control system (including sand barrier fences and straw checkerboards) was used early in the life of the desert highway to protect the road. Unfortunately, more than 70% of the sand barrier fences and straw checkerboards have lost their functions, and the desert highway has often been buried and frequently blocked since 1999. To solve this problem, a long artificial shelterbelt with the length of 437 km was built along the desert highway since 2000. However, some potential problems still exist for the sustainable development of the desert highway, such as water shortage, strong sandstorms, extreme environmental characteristics and large maintenance costs. The study aims to provide an overview of the damages caused by wind-blown sand and the effects of sand control measures along the Taklimakan Desert Highway. Ultimately, we provide some suggestions for the biological sand control system to ensure the sustainable development of the Taklimakan Desert Highway, such as screening drought-resistant species to reduce the irrigation requirement and ensure the sound development of groundwater, screening halophytes to restore vegetation in the case of soil salinization, and planting cash crops, such as Cistanche, Wolfberry, Apocynum and other cash crops to decrease the high cost of maintenance on highways and shelterbelts.

Key words： wind-blown sand      sand barrier fences      artificial shelterbelt      mechanical sand control measure      biological sand control measure      sustainable development      Taklimakan Desert Highway     
Received: 27 June 2019      Published: 10 January 2021
Corresponding Authors:
About author: LEI Jiaqiang (E-mail: leijq@ms.xjb.ac.cn)
*WANG Yongdong (E-mail: wangyd@ms.xjb.ac.cn);
Service
E-mail this article
Add to my bookshelf
Add to citation manager
E-mail Alert
RSS
Articles by authors
Congjuan LI
Yongdong WANG
Jiaqiang LEI
Xinwen XU
Shijie WANG
Jinglong FAN
Shengyu LI
Cite this article:

LI Congjuan, WANG Yongdong, LEI Jiaqiang, XU Xinwen, WANG Shijie, FAN Jinglong, LI Shengyu. Damage by wind-blown sand and its control measures along the Taklimakan Desert Highway in China. Journal of Arid Land, 2021, 13(1): 98-106.

URL:

http://jal.xjegi.com/10.1007/s40333-020-0071-0     OR     http://jal.xjegi.com/Y2021/V13/I1/98

Fig. 1 Structure of the mechanical sand control system along the Taklimakan Desert Highway
Fig. 2 Damage conditions of the mechanical sand control system caused by wind-blown sand along the Taklimakan Desert Highway. (a), buried sand barrier fences; (b), sand aggregation in the straw checkerboard barriers; (c), moving dune coverage on the desert highway.
Damage ways Percentage of damaged area (%)
East side of the highway West side of the highway
Mar 1997 Oct 1997 May 1999 Mar 1997 Oct 1997 May 1999
Aeolian erosion 8.49 9.65 12.00 6.40 9.21 4.63
Sand aggregation 24.85 38.14 53.36 27.81 23.96 55.73
Moving dune coverage 4.38 28.52 25.14 1.48 8.86 17.41
Total 37.72 76.31 90.50 35.69 42.03 77.77
Table 1 Damage conditions of the straw checkerboard barriers in typical sections along the Taklimakan Desert Highway
Damage ways Percentage of damaged area (%)
East side of the highway West side of the highway
Mar 1997 Oct 1997 May 1999 Mar 1997 Oct 1997 May 1999
Aeolian erosion 15.49 38.48 46.69 23.75 24.05 24.08
Sand aggregation 21.23 22.82 10.45 9.74 12.45 36.64
Moving dune coverage 22.38 25.13 32.71 1.63 12.36 15.09
Total 59.10 86.43 89.85 35.12 48.86 75.81
Table 2 Damage conditions of the sand barrier fences in typical sections along the Taklimakan Desert Highway
Fig. 3 Three patterns of the biological sand control measures along the Taklimakan Desert Highway. (a), four belts (two sand-fixing belts and two sand-blocking belts) at the interdune and sparsely distributed dune sections; (b), three belts (sand-fixing belt-sand-fixing belt-sand-blocking belt) at the transition sections between the ridges and depressions; (c), two belts (sand-fixing belt-sand-fixing belt) at the high compound ridge sections.
Fig. 4 Protection effects of the artificial shelterbelt along the Taklimakan Desert Highway
Sand control measure Effects Investment (CNY/(km?a)) Ecological benefit Sustainability
Mechanical sand control measure More than 70% of the control measure is ineffective: the sand barrier fences are buried, and straw checkerboard barriers containing aggregated sand and moving dunes bury the desert highway (Lei et al., 2008) 0.50×106-0.77×106
(Gong et al., 2001)		 No Unsustainable
Biological sand control measure More than 90% of the artificial shelterbelt is effective; there is generally no sand on the road surface, except under strong sandstorm conditions (Lei et al., 2008) 1.30×106-1.70×106
(Gong et al., 2001)		 Increasing the biodiversity and improving the eco-environment (Lei et al., 2008; Zhang et al., 2011) Sustainable
Chemical sand control measure Ineffective (Xu et al., 1998) 0.40×106-1.20×106
(Gong et al., 2001)		 Bring chemical materials to the desert and damaging the eco-environment (Xu et al., 1998; Han et al., 2000) Unsustainable
Table 3 Effects and investment of different sand control measures
[1]   Bergstrom D J, Boucher K M, Derksen D. 1992. Wind flow over an elevated roadway. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 41-44: 2697-2698.
[2]   Cao S X. 2008. Why large-scale afforestation efforts in China have failed to solve the desertification problem. Environmental Science Technololy, 42(6): 1826-1831.
[3]   Chen W N. 1993. Grain size parameters of aeolion sediments in the vicinity of the longitude 84°E, Taklimakan Desert. Acta Geographica Sinica, 48(1): 33-46. (in Chinese)
[4]   Copley J M. 1987. The three dimensional flow around railway trains. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 26(1): 21-52.
[5]   Dong Z B, Chen G T, He X D, et al. 2004. Controlling blown sand along the highway crossing the Taklimakan Desert. Journal of Arid Environments, 57(3): 329-344.
[6]   Dong Z W, Li C J, Li S Y, et al. 2020. Stoichiometric features of C, N, and P in soil and litter of Tamarix cones and their relationship with environmental factors in the Taklimakan Desert, China. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 20(2): 690-704.
[7]   Fan J L, Wei Y P, Xu X W, et al. 2017. Effect of drip irrigation with saline water on the construction of shelterbelts for soil and groundwater protection in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert, China. Tecnologia Y Ciencias Del Agua, 8(2): 19-30.
[8]   Gong F H, He X D, Peng X Y, et al. 2001. Comparison of properties and cost of different sand-fixing system along Tarim Desert Highway. Journal of Desert Research, 21(1): 45-49. (in Chinese)
[9]   Gu F X, Wen Q K, Pan B R. 2000. Research on soil physico-chemical properties of artificial vegetation in center of Taklimakan Desert. Journal of Arid Land Resources and Environment, 14(1): 74-79. (in Chinese)
[10]   Han Z, Wang T, Dong Z, et al. 2007. Chemical stabilization of mobile dunefields along a highway in the Taklimakan Desert of China. Journal of Arid Environments, 68(2): 260-270.
[11]   Han Z W, Yao Z Y, Shao G S. 2000. Approaches to several problems concerning sand control system of Tarim Desert highway. Arid Land Resources and Environment, 2: 35-40. (in Chinese)
[12]   Han Z W, Wang T, Sun Q W, et al. 2003. Sand harm in Taklimakan Desert Highway and sand control. Acta Geographic Sinica, 13(1): 45-52. (in Chinese)
[13]   Huang Y, Wang Y D, Zhao Y. 2015. Spatiotemporal distribution of soil moisture and salinity in the Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt. Water, 7(8): 4343-4361.
[14]   Jin Z Z, Lei J Q, Xu X W, et al. 2008. Evaluation of soil fertility of the shelter-forest land along the Trim Desert Highway. Chinese Science Bulletin, 53(Supp II): 125-136.
[15]   Johnson T. 1996. Strong wind effects on railway operations-16th October 1987. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 60: 251-266.
doi: 10.1016/0167-6105(96)00038-4
[16]   Khier W, Breuer M, Durst F. 2000. Flow structure around trains under side wind conditions: A numerical study. Computers & Fluids, 29(2): 179-195.
[17]   Lei J Q, Wang X Q, Wang D. 2003. The formation of the blown sand disaster to the Tarim Desert Highway, Xinjiang, China. Arid Zone Research, 20(1): 1-6. (in Chinese)
[18]   Lei J Q, Li S Y, Jin Z Z. 2008. Comprehensive eco-environmental effects of the shelter-forest ecological engineering along the Tarim Desert Highway. Chinese Science Bulletin, 53(Supp II): 190-202.
[19]   Li B W, Xu X W, Lei J Q. 2008. Site type classification for the shelter-forest ecological project along the Tarim Desert Highway. Chinese Science Bulletin, 53(Supp II): 31-40.
[20]   Li C J, Li Y, Ma J. 2011. Spatial heterogeneity of soil chemical properties at fine scales induced by Haloxylon ammodendron (Chenopodiaceae) plants in a sandy desert. Ecological Research, 26(2): 385-394.
[21]   Li C J, Lei J Q, Zhao Y. 2015. Effect of saline water irrigation on soil development and plant growth in the Taklimakan Desert Highway shelterbelt. Soil Tillage Research, 146: 99-107.
[22]   Li C J, Shi X, Mohamad O A. 2017. Moderate irrigation intervals facilitate establishment of two desert shrubs in the Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt in China. PLoS ONE, 12(7): e0180875, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180875.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180875 pmid: 28719623
[23]   Li C J, Liu R, Wang S J. 2018. Growth and sustainability of Suaeda salsa in the Lop Nur, China. Journal of Arid Land, 10(3): 429-440.
[24]   Li S Y, Tang Q L, Lei J Q. 2015. An overview of non-conventional water resource utilization technologies for biological sand control in Xinjiang, northwest China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 73(2): 7873-7885.
[25]   Malagnoux M, Sène E H, Atzmon N. 2007. Forests, trees and water in arid lands: A delicate balance. Unasylva, 58(229): 24-29.
[26]   Mariscal I, Pereqrina F, Terefe T. 2007. Evolution of some physical properties related to soil quality in the degraded ecosystems of "raña" formations from SW Spain. Science of The Total Environment, 378(1-2): 130-132.
[27]   Nash D J. 1999. World atlas of desertification. Geographical Journal, 165: 325-326.
[28]   Ofori L, Showstack R. 2010. Desertification awareness decade. EOS Transactions American Geophysical Union, 91(37): 327.
[29]   Tuoheti N, Abulaiti M, Ahmed Z. 2013. Anti-desertification legislation and ecological problems in Xinjiang China. Journal of Politics and Law, 6(3): 160-168.
[30]   Wang H F, Lei J Q, Li S Y, et al. 2008. Effect of the shelterbelt along the Tarim Desert Highway on air temperature and humidity. Chinese Science Bulletin, 53: 41-52.
[31]   Wang X Q, Lei J Q, Huang Q. 2000. Study on spatial distribution of wind-sand hazard along Tarim Desert Highway. Journal of Desert Research, 20(4): 438-442. (in Chinese)
[32]   Wang Y D, Zhao Y, Li S Y. 2018. Soil aggregation formation in relation to planting time, water salinity, and species in the Taklimakan Desert Highway shelterbelt. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 18(4): 1466-1477.
[33]   Wei Y P, Fan J L, Xu X W, et al. 2017. Water table response to a pumping test in the hinterland core area of the Taklimakan Desert, China. Tecnologia Y Ciencias Del Agua, 8(2): 151-158.
[34]   Xu X W, Hu Y K, Pan B R. 1998. Analysis on protection effect of various measures of combating drifting sand on Tarim Desert Highway. Arid Zone Research, 15(1): 21-26. (in Chinese)
[35]   Xu X W, Li B W, Wang X J. 2006. Progress in study on irrigation practice with saline groundwater on sandlands of Taklimakan Desert Hinterland. Chinese Science Bulletin, 51(Supp I): 161-166.
[36]   Yu X X, Li S Y, Wang H F. 2017. Aeolian-sand flow structure at different locations along desert highway shelterbelt. Arid Zone Research, 34(3): 21-26. (in Chinese)
[37]   Zhang J, Li S Y, Jin Z Z. 2011. Relationship between species diversity of herbaceous plants in the shelterbelt and environment factors. Arid Zone Research, 28(1): 118-125. (in Chinese)
[38]   Zhang J G, Xu X W, Lei J Q. 2009. Progress in the researches of sand drift disasters and defense system along the Tarim Desert Highway. Journal of Northwest Forestry University, 24(2): 50-54. (in Chinese)
[39]   Zhang J G, Lei J Q, Wang Y D. 2016. Survival and growth of three afforestation species under high saline drip irrigation in the Taklimakan Desert, China. Ecosphere, 7(5): e01285, doi: 10.1002/ecs2.1285.
[40]   Zhang K C, Qu J J, Liao K T. 2010. Damage by wind-blown sand and its control along Qinghai-Tibet Railway in China. Aeolian Research, 1(3-4): 143-146.
[41]   Zhang X M, Wang Y D, Zhao Y, et al. 2017. Litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics of three woody halophytes in the Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt. Arid Land Research and Management, 31(3): 335-351.
[42]   Zhou Z B, Xu X W, Lei J Q. 2006. Salt balance and movement of Tarim Desert Highway Shelterbelt irrigated by saline water. Arid Land Geography, 29(4): 470-475. (in Chinese)
[43]   Zhu Z D, Chen Z, Wu Z, et al. 1981. Study on the Geomorphology of Wind-Droft Sands in the Taklimakan Desert. Beijing: Science Press, 27-70. (in Chinese)
[1] GAO Li, CHENG Jianjun, WANG Haifeng, YUAN Xinxin. Effects of different types of guardrails on sand transportation of desert highway pavement[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2022, 14(9): 993-1008.
[2] QU Yingbo, ZHAO Yuanyuan, DING Guodong, CHI Wenfeng, GAO Guanglei. Spatiotemporal patterns of the forage-livestock balance in the Xilin Gol steppe, China: implications for sustainably utilizing grassland-ecosystem services[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2021, 13(2): 135-151.
[3] PENG Yu, FU Bojie, ZHANG Linxiu, YU Xiubo, FU Chao, Salif DIOP, Hubert HIRWA, Aliou GUISSE, LI Fadong. Global Dryland Ecosystem Programme (G-DEP): Africa consultative meeting report[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2020, 12(3): 538-544.
[4] WANG Cui, LI Shengyu, LEI Jiaqiang, LI Zhinong, CHEN Jie. Effect of the W-beam central guardrails on wind-blown sand deposition on desert expressways in sandy regions[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2020, 12(1): 154-165.
[5] Yang YU, Yuanyue PI, Xiang YU, Zhijie TA, Lingxiao SUN, DISSE Markus, Fanjiang ZENG, Yaoming LI, Xi CHEN, Ruide YU. Climate change, water resources and sustainable development in the arid and semi-arid lands of Central Asia in the past 30 years[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2019, 11(1): 1-14.
[6] Tao WANG, Jianjun QU, Yuquan LING, Shengbo XIE, Jianhua XIAO. Wind tunnel test on the effect of metal net fences on sand flux in a Gobi Desert, China[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2017, 9(6): 888-899.
[7] CHENG Hong, HE Jiajia, XU Xingri, ZOU Xueyong, WU Yongqiu, LIU Chenchen, DONG Yifan, PAN Meihui, WANG Yanzai, ZHANG Hongyan. Blown sand motion within the sand-control system in the southern section of the Taklimakan Desert Highway[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2015, 7(5): 599-611.
[8] ShanShan DAI, LanHai LI, HongGang XU, XiangLiang PAN, XueMei LI. A system dynamics approach for water resources policy analysis in arid land: a model for Manas River Basin[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2013, 5(1): 118-131.
[9] Bing XUE, XingPeng CHEN, Yong GENG, Mian YANG, FuXia YANG, XiaoFen HU. Emergy-based study on eco-economic system of arid and semi-arid region: a case of Gansu province, China[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2010, 2(3): 207-213.