We all know that the necessary conditions for the growth of trees include water, light, temperature, soil nutrients and so on. We can analyze the difficulty of planting trees in the desert from these aspects. We take Dunhuang as an example for analysis. Dunhuang is a typical warm temperate arid climate, characterized by less precipitation, large evaporation and arid climate. The annual precipitation in Dunhuang is about 30-40 mm, but the annual evaporation in Dunhuang can reach more than 2000 mm, which is equivalent to a drop of water falling on a boiling pot. At the same time, due to the relatively high sand content in desert and desert soil, water can easily penetrate deeper, which makes plants in desert need extremely developed roots to ensure more water absorption.
Besides water, it is more important that desert soil is extremely low in nutrients. In desert areas, not only the water retention capacity is low, but also the fertilizer retention capacity is low. The soil in desert area lacks nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other elements needed for the growth of trees. If trees are planted blindly in this land, it will not only be difficult for trees to survive, but also be counterproductive and increase the consumption of soil nutrients. So planting trees in the desert is not only a physical activity, but also a mental activity.
So how did China people plant trees on this land? In the past few decades, at that time, China's technology was not mature enough and its economy was not developed enough. In order to plant trees locally, these people carry water to the trees with their thin shoulders for artificial irrigation. The local sandstorm is very heavy, and the rolled sand is full of these people's clothes. What's more frightening is that the sandstorm will drown the saplings they just planted. So they have to continue planting trees and replanting. However, despite such careful care, the survival rate of trees is still not high. For these sand control people, physical suffering is not the most sad. The saddest thing is that the saplings they planted by themselves are difficult to survive.
Modern sand control technology in China tends to be mature, and planting trees in desert has become a general term to some extent. In desert areas, adapting to local conditions, suitable forest and grass are the scientific sand control methods in China today. But whether we plant trees or grass, our aim is to prevent wind and fix sand and keep the ecological red line. Let's pay tribute to these soldiers who have overcome difficulties and fought in the battle between man and sand.