DID TODAY''''S OASES SHRINK GREATLY IN CONTRAST TO ANCIENT OASES--SOME NEW INSIGHT INTO OASIS DESETIFICATION PROCESS DURING HISTORICAL TIMES
今天的绿洲较古代绿洲大大缩小了吗

Research on Dunhuang oases in Hexi Corridor and tho se in lowel reaches of Shiyanghe during historical times showed that desertifica tion process does not mean the shrinkage of the total area of an oasis but rathe r a kind of oasis migration to a great extent,and consequence of unreasonal anth ropogenic activities.Oases migration process resulted from shifting of water res ources and their redistribution in oases is by no means of constant shrinkage and vanishing of oa ses. However, along with this kind of migration process, original oases were aba ndoned and new ones occurred. Desertification might occur here but new oases mig ht form in other places as oasis is a product of actions of water resources. So far as there is micro climatic circulation regime and no great changes in draina ge total water amount, there would be no great changes in the total area of oase s. So the view that today's oases have been greatly reduced in comparison with a ncient oases lacks both theoretical and historical evidences.