Radiation effects of windbreak and sand fixation function in Baijitan National Nature Reserve, Lingwu, Ningxia of northwestern China

  Objective  Considering the major ecosystem service functions of Ningxia Lingwu Baijitan National Nature Reserve as a research object, the method for calculating radiation effects of windbreak and sand fixation was proposed and the spatial flow characteristics of ecosystem services were analyzed.

  Method  Based on remote sensing and meteorological data, changes in the radiation effects of windbreak and sand fixation of Baijitan Nature Reserve were analyzed using the models for wind erosion and dust particle transportation over the last 20 years.

  Result  Dust deposition in the downwind area of the reserve declined continuously. It decreased from 3.22 × 10⁸ t in 2001 to 1.99 × 10⁷ t in 2019, and the dust deposition in 2019 was only 10.55% of that in 2001; and windbreak and sand fixation rate of the reserve increased steadily from 55.65% in 2001 to 74.38% in 2019 with an increment of 18.73%. The decline trend of dust deposition in areas with different radiation levels was basically the same. In areas with radiation level ≤ 6 (influence range < 508.5 km), dust deposition decreased gradually from 2.03 × 10⁷ t in 2001 to 4.25 × 10⁶ t in 2019. The decline in dust deposition was maximum in Shaanxi Province of northwestern China (5.45 × 10⁶ t), Shanxi Province of northern China (4.49 × 10⁶ t), and Henan Province of central China (4.06 × 10⁶ t) in the past 20 years. In the same period, administrative regions with a dust deposition of more than 10⁷ t included Hubei Province (3.62 × 10⁶ t), Hunan Province (2.31 × 10⁶ t), and Jiangxi Province (1.14 × 10⁶ t) of central China, Hebei Province of northern China (2.70 × 10⁶ t), Shandong Province (2.55 × 10⁶ t) and Anhui Province (1.77 × 10⁶ t) of eastern China . Administrative regions with weaker effects included Fujian Province, Zhejiang Province of eastern China, and Tianjin of northern China, etc.

  Conclusion  The amount of sand and dust deposition in the downwind area of the nature reserve shows a downward trend year by year, and the amount of sand and dust deposition in different administrative regions and areas with different radiation ranges and levels shows a gradual downward trend, and the windbreak and sand fixation rate shows a gradual upward trend.