干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

The quicksand phenomenon is one of the big factors of desertification. This report introduced straw net method which is one of the effective methods for stabilizing quick-sands. This method is to cover the sand dune with straw nets with square circumference of about 1 m. Height of straw fence is about 10-20cm from soil surface and the depth is about 10-30cm. Grass seeds are sprayed after construction of the nets. In some cases, young trees such as pine and yellow willow are planted.

At first this method was adopted as the way of protecting a road, a railway from the flow dune in Horqin arid land. Nowadays this method has become popular and widely used for the fixation of the flow sand and for recovering the vegetation, in and area China.

The merits of straw nets on protecting desertification can be pointed as follows. First, the flow sand can be stabilized by the wind-proof effects. Second, the natural material of straw which are an agricultural by-product can be procured in the farm village in the spot. Third, the technique to construct nets is easy. Fourth, the prompt effect after establishment can be expected. Fifth, grass and trees are fixed at the short time by harvesting the snow and rainfall as natural water to the root zone.

The new evaluation of straw nets is the effects on the microclimate modification such as lowering air temperature, increasing the air humidity and lowering soil temperature. These environmental modifications are effective for the prompt germination of the seed and nursing vegetation growing.

As mention above, this straw net method is effective for the sand dune fixation and the vegetation recovering.