Estimation of wind erosion rates by using 137Cs tracing technique: A case study in Tariat-Xilin Gol transect, Mongolian Plateau

Wind erosion is one of the major environmental problems in semi-arid and arid regions. Here we established the Tariat-Xilin Gol transect from northwest to southeast across the Mongolian Plateau, and selected seven sampling sites along the transect. We then estimated the soil wind erosion rates by using the 137Cs tracing technique and examined their spatial dynamics. Our results showed that the 137Cs inventories of sampling sites ranged from 265.63±44.91 to 1279.54±166.53 Bq·m 2, and the wind erosion rates varied from 64.58 to 419.63 t·km 2·a 1 accordingly. In the Mongolia section of the transect (from Tariat to Sainshand), the wind erosion rate increased gradually with vegetation type and climatic regimes; the wind erosion process was controlled by physical factors such as annual precipitation and vegetation coverage, etc., and the impact of human activities was negligible. While in the China section of the transect (Inner Mongolia), the wind erosion rates of Xilin Hot and Zhengxiangbai Banner were thrice as much as those of Bayannur of Mongolia, although these three sites were all dominated by typical steppe. Besides the physical factors, higher population density and livestock carrying level should be responsible for the higher wind erosion rates in these two regions of Inner Mongolia. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40571130), the Key Project of International Cooperation, CAS (Grant No. GJHZ06), the Director Foundation of Institute of Geographic Sciences and Resources Research, CAS (Grant Nos. 06W60000SZ and 06W60001SZ) and the Open Foundation of Key Laboratory of Water Cycle & Related Land Surface Processes, CAS (Grant No. WL2005001)