沙漠研究 19-1, 109 - 112 (2009 )Journal of Arid Land Studies“Desert Technology IX ”
Refereed Paper

Recovering and Rebuilding Ecological System of Lower Reaches of Tarim Riverand Lop Nur Region in Xinjiangٛ
Xuncheng XIA1, Yuanjie ZHAO2, Qihui JI1
Abstract: Under the impact of natural condition and historical factor, the area of lower reachesof Tarim River and Lop Nur region has been dried up for many years, and it has caused a lot ofserious ecological consequences. In this paper the basic ways of ecological system’s
recovering and rebuilding have been put, and introduce Eco-benefits of emergent watertransportation project to lower reaches of Tarim River.
Keywords: Ecological system, Lop Nur, Recovering, Way

1. Introduction
There are an area of about 4.08×105 km2 and a population of 7.0×105 people in the area of lower
reaches of Tarim River and Lop Nur region. The region is located in the eastern part of Tarim Basin,
within Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, closes to Gansu Province in the east, nearlower reaches of Tarim River in the west, the north is Jueluotage Hill of Tianshan Mountain, the south isthe north foot of Aljin Mountain.
2. Eco-environmental situation and existing problems
2.1. Climatic characteristics
This region is in the hinterland of Eurasian continent, which belongs to extremely arid continental
desert climate in warm temperate zone. Although the weather condition is bad, the climatic resources arevery rich, such as solar radiation, wind energy etc, which are higher in the same latitude, and suitable topromote the use of solar stoves, solar water heaters, solar greenhouse, solar cells, and so on. Wind power
resources enable small wind-driven generator to operate during nine months normally. The abundanteffective photosynthetic radiation (Li, 1991), adding to large temperature difference between day and night,
is conducive for plant to process photosynthesis and accumulate photosynthetic product, hence, thepotential of improvement of solar energy utilization in agricultural production is great in lower reaches ofTarim River.
2.2. Water system features
The length of the river course of lower reaches of Tarim River from Qiala down to the inlet ofTaitema Lake is 428 km. Taitema Lake has dried up in 1972. Only on the case of artificial watertransportation at present, the seasonal water is poured into the Taitema Lake. There are three low andlevel water logged depressions in the eastern of Tarim Basin，the higher one is Taitema Lake (810 m) in thesouthwest, the middle one is Kalaheshun Lake (790 m), and the lower one is Lop Nur (780 m) in thenortheast.
2.3. Geomorphological features
Most area of lower reaches of Tarim River is alluvial plain, the relief of Taitema Lake in the southernis the lowest. Because the river has frequently changed its course in history, a broad riparian zone hasformed. From the edge of the desert to its hinterland, the types of sand dunes transits from the fixed or
the semi-fixed to the mobile with the height of 5-15 m generally. In the southeast of lower reaches ofTarim River there are Aljin Mountains and Kunlun Mountains, which are high and steep. The relief
level from the mountains to the north becomes lower gradually and reaches to the foot of mountains
eventually, the Geomorphological types corresponding to which in turn appear: diluvial or alluvial fan in
1
2

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China;
College of Resources and Environment Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016, China.
E-mail: ecoenvir@yahoo.cn

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the front of mountains, separate oases, alluvial plain, wind erosion or lacustrine plain. The latter is at theeastern edge of Taklimakan Desert, which joins together with Taitema Lake, Kalaheshun Lake, as well as
ancient Lop Nur.
2.4. Biotic community
All of rivers in Tarim River basin have a common feature that is the groundwater generally supplies
for the rivers before it outflows from the mountains, and conversely the river water supplies forgroundwater after it outflows from the mountains (Xinjiang Comprehensive Scientific Investigation Team,1964). Because of coming water from Tarim River and other rivers rising from the north slopes of Aljin
Mountains and East Kunlun Mountains, “Green Corridor” has formed in above regions, with the features ofintermittence and a width of 1-10 km, which consists of Populus euphratica zone along the rivers, edgezone of alluvial fan, as well as oases spreading all over the place. In this region, the vegetation coverage
is better, and farming as well as forest-fruit industry is more prosperous. The main vegetation in lower
reaches of Tarim River and edge zone of alluvial fan is Populus euphratica. There are one kind ofamphibian species, seven kinds of reptiles, ninety six kinds of birds, twenty three kinds of mammals in thisregion, and some special fishes in Tarim River, for example, Aspiorhynehus latieeps etc..
2.5. Existing problems in ecological environment
With the water amount flown into the main stream is decreasing all the time, and the ineffectuallywasted water resources in the main stream is very serious, and the lasting deterioration of eco-environment inlower reaches of Tarim River has appeared: 1) The water amount has decreased definitely flowing into themain stream from source streams; 2) the mineralization degree of well water has also ascended from 1.3 g/l to
4.5 g/l in 1998; 3) A large area of Populus euphratica has perished on both sides of the main stream.
3. The basic ways of ecological system’s recovering and rebuilding
3.1. Solve the water-supply problem in lower reaches of Tarim River by adequate methods
If the water resources could be allocated by adequate ways and the water supply in lower reaches ofTarim River would increase, it would be possible for Taitema Lake to maintain an everglade or a lake
which has an area of dozens of square kilometers. Because Taitema Lake is a part of Lop Nur in broad
sense, it could be said that the former landscape of Lop Nur like a water village is partly restored.
3.2. Construct an effective water-saving pipe system
A standard water transportation pipe system should be set up in lower reaches of Tarim river. It is
173km long from Daxihaizi reservoir reaches to Taitema Lake on lower reaches of Tarim River, and it
plays a role of main artery in Green Corridor, which can be used to irrigate automatically in a certain timewith a fix quantity and a certain ratio of nourishment.
3.3. Construct desertification controlling system
To protect and cultivate Populus euphratica better and reintegrate Tamarix spp. shrub along the watertransportation pipe and the national highway, at the same time to set up five different desertification
controlling testing and demonstrating bases including Yingsu, Alagan, Kaogan, Luobuzhuang and Taitema
Lake, the whole area can be brought along.
3.4. Construct ecological sustainable development projects
3.4.1. Distinctive system of agriculture and animal husbandry in oasis
To develop oasis on ecological situation and production simultaneously, to implement strategic
structure restructure. The ratio of the occupied field by grain-cotton, forest-fruit and grass would be
adjusted from 8:1.5:0.5 to 5:2:3.
3.4.2. Halophyte industry project
There is abundant halophyte resources concentrate distributing in this area, the kinds of which
account for 49% of the total number in China and 8% of the whole world. All of them are suitable tocultivate aptly in this area, to form a halophyte industry project with scale benefits. Halophyte has the111

ability to accumulate salt, and so it can make the land desalt if grown on alkaline land.
3.4.3. Distinctive traveling and ecological traveling
The long history, abundant historic sites, unique sights, outstanding circumstance, spectacular ethicalculture and customs, particular natural human landscape, for example, Ancient Loulan City, Silk Road,
Desert and Oasis, Yarldang landform, Populus euphratica etc., all of which have provided ascendantconditions for developing local distinctive traveling and ecological traveling, may become another new
support industries in economic development.
3.4.4. Ecological migration and urbanization project
Urbanization has a great influence on the socio-economic and cultural development, environmentalrestoration and protection. In city chain around the Tarim Basin, only in the southeast corner lacks of a
medium-sized city. The city can centralize the remote resident combined with ecological migration, andimprove people's culture and living standards, and decrease ecological pressure in the mountainous area
and the margin area of oasis; and it can promote national unity and stabilize the border society, then it iseasy to administrate and utilize the national investment and allocate the natural resources uniformly.
3.4.5. Construct an advanced management and operation system
Whereas the ecological recovering and rebuilding relates to four counties and one city as well as six
farms of second agricultural division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the main body ofinterest is different, and the water resources is also of different, the ecological and economic conflicts are
remarkable around water resources, and the market adjustment mechanism in process of resources using has
not yet established, adding to the particularity of ecological restoration and rebuilding projects, therefore, themanagement or innovation should be enhanced in the following aspects: 1) Carry through the plan and design
project and preliminary study; 2) Establish a sound water resource management system and allotment
mechanism; 3) Strengthen construction of laws and regulations, to carry through management in accordancewith the laws; 4) Strengthen popularization, education and training on the project.
4. Eco-benefits of emergent water transportation project to lower reaches of Tarim River
4.1. Overview on emergent water transportation project to Green Corridor in lower reaches ofTarim River
From 2000 to 2003, the emergent water transportation project had implemented for five times. The
course in lower reaches of Tarim River has accepted a total water of 17.8×108 m3, in which from Daxihaizi
down is 16.58×108 m3.
4.2. Eco-benefit of emergent water transportation project to Green Corridor in lower reaches ofTarim River
In order to do prototype observation of emergent water transportation project better, to provide
first-hand information for recent Tarim Basin comprehensive management, and to provide scientific basis
for effective assessment of water transportation, many contents were observed including surface water,
ground water, soil water, vegetation response, and so on (Xia et al., 2007). Since the project implement,1) the impacted area in the lower reaches has become larger; 2) the groundwater level has being risen
gradually; 3) Ground water quality has been improved significantly; 4) soil moisture is gradually
increasing on the whole; 5) the vital force of natural vegetation has restored partly; 6) animal community
situation has also improved.
5. Conclusion
The Recovering and Rebuilding Ecological System of Lower Reaches of Tarim River and Lop Nur
Region in Xinjiang put forward in this paper is an improvement further on the basis of former
achievements. The implement of this project has a very important significance for local people toimprove ecological environment, mineral resources exploitation, economic and cultural development,social stability, and national unity. It also provides developing experience for other extreme drought areasof the world.

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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.
40671188).
References
Li J. (1991): Climate in Xinjiang. Beijing, Weather Press.
Xia X., Wang F., Zhao Y. (2007): Lop Nur in China. Beijing, Science Press.
Xinjiang Comprehensive Scientific Investigation Team, CAS (1964): The hydrological status in southern Xinjiang [M].
Beijing: Science Press.