The grass grid locks the yellow sand, and the hoof prints of the goose-throated gazelle bear witness to the ecological changes in Zhongwei.

China News Service, Zhongwei, October 25th. Title: Grass grid locks the yellow sand, and goose-throated antelope hoof prints bear witness to the ecological changes in Zhongwei

China News Service reporter Yu Jing

On the 25th, in a long ditch on the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert in Zhongwei, Ningxia, a layer of light floated on the water. Ranger Huang Xingxin squatted on the sand beam, his fingertips compared with the hoofprints on the sand. The cone-shaped hoof tips were clearly visible, which were the marks left by the goose-throated antelope. Traces of animals extend from the sagebrush and disappear into the continuous grass grid. These increasing hoofprints are the most vivid ecological answer to Zhongwei’s decades of desertification control.

As an indicator species of desert ecology, goose-throated antelopes are alert by nature and are very sensitive to their living environment. Decades ago, the yellow sand in the southeast of Tengger was rolling in, making it difficult to find the goose-throated gazelle. Today, the population of the goose-throated gazelle in the Shapotou Reserve and surrounding areas is estimated to be 811±77, with the largest group of 21 individuals observed in a single observation. The rare visitors in the past have become regular visitors to the sand sea.

Zhongwei uses wheat straw squares to lock the quicksand and continues to promote comprehensive desertification control. A total of 5.56 million acres of desertified land have been controlled, and the sand line of the Tengger Sands has been retreated by 25 kilometers. The number of natural plant species in the treatment area increased from 25 to 453, and the vegetation coverage rate increased from less than 1% to 42%. Caragana, mugwort, and sand rice are spread in layers, and the flowing sand dunes are slowly wrapped in greenery. Wherever the grass grid is inserted, life extends.

The patrol team is the guardian of this sand sea. Orange patrol vehicles travel through the management area of ​​nearly 100,000 acres all year round. The work of the rangers has also quietly changed: in the past, they focused on keeping an eye on the movement of sand dunes and the damage of grass squares. Now they also need to track the traces of goose-throated antelope, water sources and changes in vegetation. On the patrol road, when the goose-throated gazelle sees people and vehicles from a distance, it raises its head to be alert, leaps lightly to the depths of the sand ridge, and occasionally stops to look back. The staff also rescued young antelopes that were separated from their mothers. They took careful care and sent them to professional rescue agencies. Following the nature of wild animals, they eventually returned to the desert.

Relying on the "sky, earth and man" integrated monitoring system, 143 AI infrared cameras continue to capture wild images. In the past two years, 136 infrared cameras have acquired a total of 5,520 independent photos of goose-throated antelopes, recording their activity patterns of foraging for food and water in the morning and dusk. Under the lens, this sand sea is becoming more and more vibrant, with red foxes, Asian badgers, Asian and African wild cats and other wild animals frequently appearing on camera. A total of 10 species of wild animals and 52 species of birds have been recorded in the reserve. Local young man Li Hongrui used a drone and camera to record the goose-throated antelope and released a short video to break the public's stereotype of desert desolation and let more people see the recovery of the sand sea.

The scope of the protected area is also being optimized and adjusted. After the long flowing water area is included, the proportion of suitable habitat protection for goose-throated antelope will increase from 15.8% to 43.3%. As the ecology continues to improve, people's awareness of protection increases, poaching disappears, and the desert food chain is gradually restored. The feces of the goose-throated gazelle can also help the spread of plant seeds, forming a benign symbiosis system. From "the sand forces people to retreat" to "the green advances and the sand recedes", hoof prints of goose-throated antelopes fall on the sand one after another, confirming the long-term reconciliation between man and the sand.