Spatio-temporal variation of wind erosion in Inner Mongolia of China between 2001 and 2010

Using Geographic Information System (GIS), based on wind speed, precipitation, topographic, soil, vegetation coverage and land use data of Inner Mongolia between 2001 and 2010, we applied the revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ) model to simulate wind erosion intensity. The results showed that an area of approximately 47.8 × 10⁴ km² experienced wind erosion in 2010, 23.2% of this erosion could be rated as severe, and 46.0% as moderate. Both the area and the intensity of wind erosion had decreased from 2001 to 2010, the wind erosion area reduced 10.1%, and wind erosion intensity decreased by 29.4%. Precipitation, wind speed, population size and urbanization in rural areas, and gross domestic product of primary industry (GDP1) were the main factors influencing wind erosion. Overall, these factors accounted for 88.8% of the wind erosion. These results indicated that the decrease in wind erosion over the past decade related to the increase in precipitation and the decrease in the number of windy days, while modest urban development and optimization of the economic structure might partially reduced the level of ecological pressure, highlighting the importance of human activities in controlling wind erosion.