{"id":33592,"date":"2026-01-26T20:34:52","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T20:34:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=33592"},"modified":"2026-01-26T20:34:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T20:34:56","slug":"shrubs-turn-chinas-largest-desert-rim-into-a-carbon-sink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/shrubs-turn-chinas-largest-desert-rim-into-a-carbon-sink\/","title":{"rendered":"Shrubs Turn China\u2019s Largest Desert Rim Into a Carbon Sink"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Along the rim of China\u2019s Taklamakan Desert, a 40-year experiment in planting hardy shrubs is slowing desert expansion and quietly soaking up carbon dioxide. New satellite-based research shows even one of the world\u2019s driest places can become a measurable carbon sink.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Along the edge of China\u2019s largest desert, a slow, green transformation is reshaping both the landscape and the atmosphere above it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A decades-long effort to plant hardy shrubs around the Taklamakan Desert in western China has created a measurable carbon sink in one of the driest places on Earth, according to a new study led by University of California, Riverside scientists and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2523388123\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">published<\/a> in the <em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project, launched by the Chinese government in 1978 to halt the desert\u2019s advance, is now offering rare, long-term evidence that carefully planned greening of barren land \u2014 known as afforestation \u2014 can help pull carbon dioxide out of the air, even in harsh desert environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"325\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Taklamakan-Desert.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Taklamakan-Desert.jpeg 700w, https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Taklamakan-Desert-300x139.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Caption: <\/em>A successfully afforested area of the desert as it stands with medium-sized trees today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Credit:<\/em> (Le Yu\/Tsinghua University)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:5px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers analyzed multiple years of satellite data over the desert\u2019s rim, where rows of shrubs have been planted for more than four decades. They focused on two key signals: changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and changes in plant activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One satellite, NASA\u2019s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, tracks carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. Over the greening zone at the Taklamakan\u2019s edge, it revealed a distinct \u201ccold spot\u201d in carbon dioxide, an area where levels are 1 to 2 parts per million lower than in surrounding air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A second satellite instrument, known as MODIS, measures solar-induced fluorescence \u2014 faint light emitted by plants during photosynthesis. Rising fluorescence over the shrublands shows that plant life is now thriving where there was once mostly bare sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Co-author King-Fai Li, an associate professor in the Environmental Sciences Department at UC Riverside, emphasized that the new carbon sink is not the lush forest many people picture when they think of climate solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is not like a rainforest in the Amazon or Congo,\u201d Li said in a news release. \u201cSome afforested regions are only shrublands like Southern California\u2019s chaparral. But the fact that they are drawing down CO\u2082 at all, and doing it consistently, is something positive we can measure and verify from space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Taklamakan, roughly the size of Germany, has long posed environmental and political challenges for China. Unchecked desert expansion threatened farmland and contributed to instability in western regions, where minority ethnic groups have clashed with central authorities. Planting shrubs along the desert\u2019s rim was seen as a way to stabilize soils, protect agriculture and, more recently, help reduce the nation\u2019s carbon footprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new study shows that strategy is working \u2014 at least to a point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By combining satellite observations with estimates of plant growth, the researchers concluded that the afforested belt around the Taklamakan is indeed acting as a human-made biospheric carbon sink. If the entire desert were eventually covered with similar shrublands, the team estimates it could offset roughly 60 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, about 10% of Canada\u2019s annual emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is a meaningful amount for a single region, but tiny compared with global emissions of around 40 billion tons per year. The findings underscore both the promise and the limits of using land-based greening projects to fight climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Li cautioned against viewing desert planting as a silver bullet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not going to solve the climate crisis by planting trees in deserts alone. But understanding where and how much CO\u2082 can be drawn down, and under what conditions, is essential,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is one piece of the puzzle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Water is the main constraint. The shrubs on the Taklamakan\u2019s rim survive thanks to runoff from nearby mountains, which delivers just enough moisture to keep them alive. Pushing the project deeper into the desert would require a reliable water source \u2014 a growing challenge as climate change and overuse strain water supplies worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study also notes that afforestation is not a simple \u201cplant and forget\u201d solution. Trees and shrubs absorb carbon as they grow, but they also release carbon dioxide through respiration. The net climate benefit depends on many factors, including soil type, vegetation density and local climate. Poorly planned projects can even backfire, for example by using too much water or displacing native ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, the Taklamakan experiment stands out because it has endured. Unlike some high-profile but short-lived efforts, such as a United Nations-backed greening attempt in the Sahara Desert, China\u2019s program has continued for decades, supported by political stability and a mix of environmental and economic motivations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The research also fits into a broader scientific effort to understand all the ways deserts interact with the carbon cycle. Other studies have suggested that desert sand may physically trap small amounts of carbon dioxide as it expands and contracts with daily temperature swings. That mechanism is minor compared with photosynthesis, but it may add up to as much as a million tons of carbon sequestration each year across large desert regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taken together, these findings suggest that even seemingly barren landscapes can play a role in moderating the climate \u2014 if managed carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For communities and policymakers searching for climate strategies that do not depend on unproven technologies, the Taklamakan shrublands offer a tangible example of a low-tech, nature-based approach that delivers multiple benefits: slowing desertification, protecting farmland and removing some carbon from the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Li sees a broader lesson in the project\u2019s persistence and measurable impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEven deserts are not hopeless,\u201d added Li. \u201cWith the right planning and patience, it is possible to bring life back to the land, and, in so doing, help us breathe a little easier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additional co-authors include atmospheric scientist Xun Jiang at the University of Houston, Earth system scientist Le Yu at Tsinghua University in Beijing, and planetary scientist Yuk L. Yung at Caltech.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:13px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/news.ucr.edu\/articles\/2026\/01\/26\/shrubs-curb-carbon-emissions-chinas-largest-desert\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">University of California, Riverside<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Along the rim of China\u2019s Taklamakan Desert, a 40-year experiment in planting hardy shrubs is slowing desert expansion and quietly soaking up carbon dioxide. New satellite-based research shows even one of the world\u2019s driest places can become a measurable carbon sink.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[273,62,207,297],"class_list":["post-33592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-climate-and-environment","tag-caltech","tag-tsinghua-university","tag-uc-riverside","tag-university-of-houston"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Along the rim of China\u2019s Taklamakan Desert, a 40-year experiment in planting hardy shrubs is slowing desert expansion and quietly soaking up carbon dioxide. New satellite-based research shows even one of the world\u2019s driest places can become a measurable carbon sink.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33592"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33592\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33650,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33592\/revisions\/33650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}