Desertification and Its Control along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway is a magnificent project in the twenty first century. However, the problem of land desertification has arisen during the operation of the railway. Many sections of the railway roadbed are buried by sand. The ecological safety along the railway and the safe operation of the railway have attracted worldwide attention. This chapter will focus on the current situation of desertification along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, such as key desertification sections and the temporal and spatial characteristics of the occurrence of desertification. At the same time, it introduces the characteristics of the dynamic conditions of railway desertification and the source of sand material. It is divided into two parts: biological measures and engineering measures to introduce desertification control along the railway. The biological measures focus on the selection of Lolium perenne, Festuca sinensi, Elymus breviaristatus, Elymus nutans and Poa crymophila, and other alpine native sand-fixing plant materials. The engineering measures will introduce the railway desertification comprehensive prevention and control technology system that combines solidification, resistance, and transportation.