Mosaic of magic

Beautiful landscapes in various regions of China are benefiting from effective desertification control and green development. In 2019, researchers from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, led by researcher Qu Jianjun, developed the "Sand Control Magic Cube 2.0" after repeated experiments. This method involves using machines to weave wheat straw into brush-like ropes and directly insert them into the sandy soil, saving labor and cost, and enabling large-scale sand control projects. CHINA DAILY "After the installation of the brush-like ropes, air currents passing through create a vortex in the center of the grids, forming a funnel-shaped depression in the sand, resembling a large pot that pushes the sand in the center toward the periphery of the ropes, fixing the sand while also securing the ropes," explained Tang Ximing, chief engineer of the State-owned forestry station in Zhongwei. "The average thickness of the dry sand layer is 30 to 35 centimeters, and the surface temperature in summer reaches up to 70 C. The survival rate was only a little more than 40 percent," Tang recalled of his experience of planting trees in the grass grids 10 years ago.