Progress in the Study of Methods for Monitoring Land Desertification in China

Land desertification is among the major world-wide eco-environmental problems.It is the prerequisite for effective remedy of land desertification to monitor the desertification,know well the present situation,intensity as well as dynamic variation rules of desertification.In recent years,a great number of studies on the methods for land desertification have been completed and many important results have been achieved in China.Nevertheless,many problems still exist in the monitoring methods due to the characteristics of land desertification such as very intensive distribution and varied types.This paper deals mainly with the monitoring methods for land desertification in narrow sense,i.e.,sandy desertification.In more detail,recent progress in the study of methods for land desertification monitoring in China is summarized,and some personal opinions on the problems in monitoring methods for land desertification and future tendency are put forward.