Analysis on driving factors of desertification in northern china: A case study of yanchi county

Taking Yanchi County as a case study, the driving factors of desertification had been analyzed. The results show that the remarkable feature of desertification of Yanchi County is the landscape changing from grassland and farmland to desert. At the same time, the fragmentation of grassland landscape is increasing continually, while the farmland is linked up on space with the decreasing landscape fragmentation. Land desertification was influenced mostly by the distribution of settlement, and the affected distance of habitation to the farmland extended gradually. Human activities and policies can dramatically change land-use patterns. Therefore, it is important to analyze the human activities and implement appropriate state policies to combat desertification in China. The conclusions of this research can provide the scientific basis of desertification control for Yanchi County and other similar regions.