An Artificial Oasis in a Deadly Desert: Practices and Enlightenments
Building highway and its biological protection system in a drought-affected shifting-sand desert is a great challenge. This challenge was completed by the construction of the Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt (TDHS)—the longest of its kind in the world (436 km). The TDHS can serve as a model for...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/14/2237 |
| _version_ | 1797414842724777984 |
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| author | Ying Zhao Jie Xue Nan Wu Robert Lee Hill |
| author_facet | Ying Zhao Jie Xue Nan Wu Robert Lee Hill |
| author_sort | Ying Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Building highway and its biological protection system in a drought-affected shifting-sand desert is a great challenge. This challenge was completed by the construction of the Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt (TDHS)—the longest of its kind in the world (436 km). The TDHS can serve as a model for highway construction and desertification control using eco-friendly and cost-effective approaches in other desert regions. Notably, we proved that local saline groundwater irrigation offers potential advantages and opportunities for the growth of halophytes and sandy soil development in hyper-arid desert environments. Here, we systematically (1) summarize the project, its results, and vital technical issues of saline water irrigation; (2) address soil hydrological processes that play a crucial role in maintaining those systems; and (3) highlight useful insights for soil development, plant survival, and soil–plant–water–biota synergy mechanisms. Indeed, the TDHS project has provided a proof of concept for restoration and desert greening initiatives. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:39:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0eba6b8c334e4b46bfaec636c772feb2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:39:44Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-0eba6b8c334e4b46bfaec636c772feb22023-12-03T12:25:24ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412022-07-011414223710.3390/w14142237An Artificial Oasis in a Deadly Desert: Practices and EnlightenmentsYing Zhao0Jie Xue1Nan Wu2Robert Lee Hill3Yantai Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecohydrological Processes and Environmental Security, College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, ChinaNational Engineering Technology Research Center for Desert-Oasis Ecological Construction, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi 830011, ChinaYantai Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecohydrological Processes and Environmental Security, College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, ChinaDepartment of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USABuilding highway and its biological protection system in a drought-affected shifting-sand desert is a great challenge. This challenge was completed by the construction of the Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt (TDHS)—the longest of its kind in the world (436 km). The TDHS can serve as a model for highway construction and desertification control using eco-friendly and cost-effective approaches in other desert regions. Notably, we proved that local saline groundwater irrigation offers potential advantages and opportunities for the growth of halophytes and sandy soil development in hyper-arid desert environments. Here, we systematically (1) summarize the project, its results, and vital technical issues of saline water irrigation; (2) address soil hydrological processes that play a crucial role in maintaining those systems; and (3) highlight useful insights for soil development, plant survival, and soil–plant–water–biota synergy mechanisms. Indeed, the TDHS project has provided a proof of concept for restoration and desert greening initiatives.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/14/2237soil hydrological processessaline water irrigationdesertification controlshelterbelt |
| spellingShingle | Ying Zhao Jie Xue Nan Wu Robert Lee Hill An Artificial Oasis in a Deadly Desert: Practices and Enlightenments Water soil hydrological processes saline water irrigation desertification control shelterbelt |
| title | An Artificial Oasis in a Deadly Desert: Practices and Enlightenments |
| title_full | An Artificial Oasis in a Deadly Desert: Practices and Enlightenments |
| title_fullStr | An Artificial Oasis in a Deadly Desert: Practices and Enlightenments |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Artificial Oasis in a Deadly Desert: Practices and Enlightenments |
| title_short | An Artificial Oasis in a Deadly Desert: Practices and Enlightenments |
| title_sort | artificial oasis in a deadly desert practices and enlightenments |
| topic | soil hydrological processes saline water irrigation desertification control shelterbelt |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/14/2237 |
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