Dryland Vegetation in the Sand-Shifting Environment - Mu Us Sandy Land, China

This book highlights the life history strategies of natural vegetation in sand-shifting environments, focusing on the physiological and ecological characteristics of trees that support these strategies. It highlights the environmental conservation functions of arid land vegetation, offering new perspectives for developing technologies to combat desertification. By examining the characteristics of native tree species in terms of desertification control, adaptation to sand-shifting environments, and drought stress tolerance, the book offers valuable insights into vegetation restoration in arid and devastated areas. Readers will gain new perspectives on developing technologies for vegetation restoration not only in arid lands but also in various devastated areas. The chapters cover the mechanisms plants use to cope with drought and strong light stress, the impact of shrub coverage on environmental conditions, and the life history strategies of key species like Juniperus sabina. The book also addresses the global impact of desertification and presents innovative control measures, drawing on over three decades of research in the Mu Us Sandy Land. This extensive fieldwork provides a new perspective on developing countermeasure technologies suited to local environments based on native vegetation characteristics.
Written for researchers, students, and professionals in ecology, afforestation, plant ecophysiology, and desertification control, this book offers a unique presentation of trees' adaptation strategies to sand-shifting environments in arid lands. Readers will discover the sophisticated resistance strategies of arid-land vegetation and the diverse survival tactics of its component tree species. This work is particularly relevant for those involved in ecosystem restoration and conservation, NGOs, and NPOs, providing a comprehensive overview of the resilience and adaptability of dryland ecosystems.

List of contents

Chapter 1. Drylands and Desertification/Land Degradation.- Chapter 2. Desertification/Land Degradation in China.- Chapter 3. The Mu Us Sandy Land and its Origin.- Chapter 4. Physical environment.- Chapter 5. Biological environment.- Chapter 6. Mechanisms against drought stress.- Chapter 7. Mechanisms against strong light stress.- Chapter 8. Life history of Juniperus sabina L., a climax shrub tree in the Mu Us Sandy Land, China.- Chapter 9. Characteristic growth strategies of trees planted in sand shifting environments.- Chapter 10. Current Status and Background of Desertification/Land Degradation in China.- Chapter 11. Impact of Desertification/Land Degradation in the World.- Chapter 12. Conclusion.- Chapter 13. Desertification Control Measures.- Chapter 14. Infrastructure Development.- Chapter15. Introduction of Plants.- Chapter 16. Prospects for Greening Technology.

About the author

Ken Yoshikawa obtained his Doctor of Agriculture degree from Kyoto University and taught Tree Eco-physiology and Global Environmental Issues at Kochi University and Okayama University. His research focuses on the eco-physiological characteristics of dryland forests in regions such as China (Juniperus sabina), Mongolia (Caragana grassland), Kenya (Melia volkensii), Saudi Arabia (Juniperus procera), and the UAE (Avicenia marina). He also developes forest regeneration technologies to prevent desertification. He has served as President of the Japanese Desert Society, Visiting Professor at Inner Mongolia Agricultural University of China, and held various committee roles at the Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.
Norikazu Yamanaka earned his doctoral degree from Kyoto University, where he studied the ecology of Japanese forests. He later joined the Arid Land Research Center at Tottori University, conducting research on arid land plants, greening techniques, and ecological restoration of desertified land, mainly in China, Mongolia, and Central Asia. From 2016 to 2022, he served as Director of the Center. His major publications include “Restoration and Development of the Degraded Loess Plateau, China”, and “Rangeland Plants of Mongolia I and II”, among others.
Nobuhito Ohte received his Ph.D. from Kyoto University. He has conducted research  at Kyoto University, the University of Arizona, the USGS, and the University of Tokyo, focusing on the mechanisms of biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems and the effects of hydrological processes on them. Since the 2000s, he has studied vegetation behavior in semi-arid regions of China and Mongolia in relation to the hydrological environments. He is currently a Professor at the Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, and President of the Japan Society of Hydrology and Water Resources. His major publications include “Hydrology and Biogeochemistry of Temperate Forests”, and “Life History of Juniperus sabina L. Adapted to the Sand Shifting Environment in the Mu Us Sandy Land, China: A review”, among others.
Naoko Miki completed her Ph.D. from Okayama University and served as a postdoctoral researcher at Hokkaido University. She teaches tree physiological ecology at Okayama University and has conducted on the physiological ecology of woody species in Japanese forests and drylands, including China. Her major publications include “Physiological Ecology of Woody Plants” and “Desertification and Its Combating Measures in China-Japanese Contribution to Rehabilitation of Degraded Lands-“, among others.
Linhe Wang graduated from Inner Mongolia Agricultural and Animal Husbandry College and obtained a Doctor of Agriculture degree from Ehime University. He taught Eremology and Aero-sediment Dynamics at Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, where he served as Vice-President, Chairman of the Inner Mongolia Association for Science and Technology, and Standing Committee Member of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional People's Congress. He developed afforestation techniques for restoring Juniperus sabina communities in the semi-arid regions of north-western China and irrigation-based greening methods.
Guosheng Zhang holds a Ph.D. from Beijing Forestry University He teaches forest cultivation and forest tree genetic breeding at Inner Mongolia Agricultural University. His research focuses ong the population characteristics and genetic diversity of plants in China's semi-arid northwest region. His key publications include 'Research on the Reproductive Behavior of Alashan Desert Shrubs and Vegetation Self-Organized Recovery' and 'Physiological Ecology Characteristics of Juniperus sabina and Population Restoration and Reconstruction'.

Product details

• Authors: Naoko H. Miki, Nobuhito Ohte, Nobuhito e Ohte, Linhe Wang, Norikazu Yamanaka, Ken Yoshikawa, Guosheng Zhang
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 22.01.2026
• EAN: 9789819547340
• ISBN: 978-981-9547-34-0
• Illustrations: Approx. 300 p. 45 illus.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > Agriculture, horticulture; forestry, fishing, food; Umweltschutz, Umwelt, Botanik und Pflanzenwissenschaften, Forstwirtschaft und Waldbau: Praxis und Techniken, Hydrologie und die Hydrosphäre, Water, Ecology, Conservation Biology, Environmental Sciences, Forestry, Plant Science, SDG 15, Afforestation, Desertification control, Vegetation degradation, Revegetation, Combatting desertification, Sand dunes, Arid land, Dryland with cold winter