It's remarkable to see how the once barren Mu Us(Maowusu) Desert has transformed into the site of the largest ecological reversal in the world. Recently, "Guangming Daily" highlighted this transformation on its front page with an article titled "Miracle! Management of the Mu Us Desert—World's Largest Ecological Reversal Unfolds Here"(《奇迹！毛乌素沙地治理——世界上最大面积的生态逆转在这里铺开》) The piece showcases the challenging efforts and significant contributions of Beijing Forestry University’s faculty and students in restoring the ecological balance of the Mu Us Desert.

Mu Us, Horqin, Hunshandake, and Hulunbuir are recognized as the four major sandy regions, located across areas including Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Liaoning, and Ningxia, and Mu Us Desert has witnessed the most notable success in its management efforts, illustrating China’s evolving strategies and technological advancements in combating desertification, which are now setting benchmarks for global desertification prevention initiatives.

Statistics reveal that 80% of the Mu Us Desert is now covered in green. As of 2020, Yulin achieved a 93.24% success rate in combating land degradation, extending Shaanxi’s green landscape northwards by 400 kilometers. 

In 2018, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) visit the place and marvelled at the efforts, stating that “China’s remarkable success in Mu Us Desert is an achievement worthy of global admiration.”

The world’s largest ecological restoration is unfolding here.

“Desertification control is not something that can be achieved by any one individual, place, or time,” remarked Zhang Yuqing, Dean of the School of Soil and Water Conservation, BFU, and Director of the Ningxia Yanchi Ecological Station. “In this new phase of development, prioritizing scientific greening and desert control, while protecting ecological diversity, stability, and sustainability to strengthen ecosystem functions, is not only essential for high-quality ecological restoration but also reflects our evolving strategies and innovations in combating desertification in China.”

National Observation and Research Station of Yanchi Mu Us Desert Ecosystem, Ningxia (Yanchi Ecological Station for short), BFU’s sole field research platform focused on desert ecosystems, serves as a pivotal force in advancing the soil and water conservation and desertification control discipline, as well as an essential pillar for the advanced discipline of forestry, contributing a lot to education, research,  science popularization, and experimental demonstration in China’s desertification control efforts.

office & living area at BFU's Yanchi Ecological Station

key members at BFU's Yanchi Ecological Station

Faculty and students at BFU's Yanchi Ecological Station

Faculty and students at BFU's Yanchi Ecological Station has fostered a collaborative approach to theoretical research and technology development, building unique strengths in several key areas such as the water capacity of sand-stabilizing vegetation, carbon sequestration in sand-fixing plants, plant community succession in sandy soils, functional microbial resource development in desert soils, comprehensive desert land restoration, and innovative soil improvement in sandy areas using synthetic biology.

sand-fixation vegetation eco-hydrological observation field

experimental field of succession sand-fixing shrub community

schematic illustration of the biological and non-biological processes involved in degraded ecosystem restoration

experimental field of comprehensive sand land control and restoration

Song Chunyang, a doctoral student at BFU's Yanchi Ecological Station, who was also involved in the report said:" I take great pride in being part of Beijing Forestry University's soil and water conservation team. I'm convinced that the journey to pioneering new ecological stewardship models in this era begins right beneath our feet, with the path to a beautiful China ahead. It's up to us, the young generation, to double our efforts."

Translated and edited by Song He
Reviewed by Yu Yangyang