干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Desertification is one of the major environmental concerns of the world nowadays. It is caused by anthropological activities and natural calamities. The immediate cause is the removal of most of the vegetation, which is followed by water loss and soil erosion, and is therefore, a major threat to biodiversity. Vegetation plays a major role in combating desertification. For vegetation development in a degraded land, establishment of windbreak and shelterbelt or greenbelt is necessary to control soil erosion. There are many perennial plant species used for the establishment of windbreak and shelterbelt globally. Utilization of multipurpose tree species in windbreak and shelterbelt will control soil erosion and enhance food security. Ziziphus spinachristi is one of the most potential multipurpose tree or shrub species highly adapted to arid climatic conditions. They play an important role in soil conservation through their strong root system and protect the topsoil from erosion. They can serve as a windbreak and provide highly nutritious fruits that bring income to the farmers. The leaves are used as fodder to animals and the flowers yield honey. In addition, extracts from fruits, seeds, leaves, roots, and barks are used in herbal medicine. Recently, four different species of Ziziphus were multiplied through tissue culture and experimented on desert rehabilitation in Kuwait. The result of this research study is highly promising and the details are discussed here.