Potential to Sequestering Carbon from Atmosphere through Rehabilitating Desertified Land in the Head Water of the Yellow River
Desertification resulted grassland ecosystem deterioration and soil organic matter lost,leading to terrestrial carbon being released to the atmosphere.Therefore.degraded land would become a major carbon source.However,through effective measures for combating desertification,desertification process could be controlled to some extent and the degraded lands could be restored.Restoring desertified lands would be all alternative approach to sequester the carbon from atmosphere.If we assume that most severe,severe,moderate desertitied lands can be rehabilitated and converted to mild desertified land through combating desertifieation using rational land use.the total 1 907.27 km~2 of various types of desertified lands could be rehabilitated in the headwater area of the Yellow River.Based on the present organic carbon content in desenified land.we could make some preliminary estimates of total 10.25×10~6 t organic carbon can be fixed in the soil.Ofthese fixations most severe.severe.modcrate desertified lands would contribute,respectively,34%,30%,36%.Therefore,present desertitied lands have potential to sequestering carbon from atmosphere through rehabilitating desertified land.
high and cold grass landrehabilitating desertified landorganic carbon contentpotential to sequestering carbon from atmospherehead water of the Yellow River