Preface

Deserts are terrestrial ecosystems that cover more than one-fifth of Earth's land area. They are mainly distributed in subtropical and temperate zones with an arid climate. Sand dunes are typical landforms in deserts. Shelterbelt systems are built to fight desertification and defend against sandstorms. Desert vegetation consists of drought-resistant trees and shrubs. Algae crust plays an important role in stabilizing sand dunes, and shrubs have been widely used to fix moving sand dunes. Shrub sustainability is determined by their adaptation to the arid climate and factors such as water use strategy, stability, and soil seed bank. Moreover, some desert plants, such as jojoba, have important economic value.

Desertification is land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and sub-humid arid zones caused by climate change and human activities. Many measures have been taken to control land desertification. For example, eco-villages improve land productivity and strengthen communities' adaptation to climate change. The enhancement of woody floral diversity helps to restore desert vegetation. Engineering and biological measures decrease sand dune movement and maintain the security of railways.

This edited volume provides new insights into the understanding of deserts and desertification through a thoughtful mixture of viewpoints. Chapters include reviews, research, and case studies.

This book is a useful resource for professionals and researchers in ecology, forestry, land desertification control, and other related areas. We extend our sincere appreciation to the authors, who are from different countries, for their contributions. We also thank IntechOpen publishing for inviting us to be editors of this book. We would like to extend our special appreciation to Publishing Process Manager Ms. Marijana Josipovic for her superb support. We also thank Prof. Benli Liu for reviewing the first chapter.

#### **Yajuan Zhu and Yuguo Liu**

Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China

> **Qinghong Luo** Xinjiang Academy of Forestry, Urumq, China

Section 1
