Cistanche deserticola Ma is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant exclusively parasitizing on the roots of Haloxylon ammodendron (C. A. Mey.) Bunge and H. Persicum Bunge ex Boiss and the primary cultivated crop of the desert economy. Its wild resources became scarce due to over-exploitation and poaching for economic benefits. To protect the biological diversity of the desert Haloxylon–Cistanche community forest, the optimal combination of desert ecology and economy industry, and their future survival, this paper examines the conservation areas of wild C. deserticola from the perspective of hosts’ effects and climate changes. To identify conservation areas, the potential distributions generated by MaxEnt in two strategies (AH: abiotic and hosts factors; HO: hosts factors only) compare the model’s performance, the niche range overlap, and the changing trend in climate changes. The results show the following: (1) The HO strategy is more suitable for prediction and identifying the core conservation areas in hosts and climate changes (indirectly affected by host distributions) for C. deserticola. (2) The low-suitable habitat and the medium-suitable habitat are both sensitive to the climate changes; the reduction reaches 48.2% (SSP585, 2081–2100) and 26.6%(SSP370, 2081–2100), respectively. The highly suitable habitat is always in growth, with growth reaching 27.3% (SSP585, 2081–2100). (3) Core conservation areas and agriculture and education areas are 317,315.118 km² and 319,489.874 km², respectively. This study developed a predictive model for Maxent under climate change scenarios by limiting host and abiotic factors and inverted the natural habitat of C. deserticola to provide scientific zoning for biodiversity conservation in desert Haloxylon–Cistanche community forests systems, providing an effective reference for decision makers.

In this work, a groundwater monitor section along the Tarim Desert Highway was set up, and the groundwater level data were recorded. The temporal and spatial fluctuations of the groundwater level were analyzed based on the groundwater level measurements, hydrologic data, the groundwater/surface water interconversion theory and the groundwater dynamics. The spatial distribution of groundwater is mostly affected by sand dune height and landform variation. The four primary temporal influence factors of groundwater level can be ordered in decreasing significance as: shelterbelt pumping > vertical leakage > river flow change > runoff replenishment. The runoff replenishment has the biggest influence range, and the shelterbelt pumping has the smallest influence range. The groundwater level fluctuates annually in a natural pattern.

The longest artificial highway shelterbelt flowing across the Taklamakan desert was conducted in 2005. To ensure the sustainable development of the highway and shelterbelts, scholars have carried out a large number of studies on the shelterbelt since 1991. This review is based on a 30-year monitoring program from 1991 to 2021. We find that, with the increase of shelterbelt age, some ecological and economic benefits gradually appear, such as saving transportation cost, promoting economic development in Southern Xinjiang, improving the sandy soil and microenvironment, and increasing the biodiversity. In the meanwhile, some adverse phenomena also exist, such as high maintenance costs, decrease in water tables because of irrigation, threats of the protected species, pollution from pumping oil wells, and the potential damage from highway burying as sand dunes move forward. In view of these problems, some suggestions are as follows. First, the science-policy sections of both the UNFCCC and the UNCCD should pay special attention to providing research-based guidance for the international cooperation and coordination. Second, China government should provide the necessary funding to establish the 27th China desert observation and research station to ensure long-term monitoring and slow down the pace of construction on the desert highway to allow time to develop strategies that minimize the impact on wild animals. Third, it is necessary to apply solar photovoltaic power in well irrigation and sand industry development. Fourth, the sand-blocking belt of 10 m width and 10 m away from the outside of the upwind shelterbelt can be laid every five years in view of sand-buried roads. In short, the inter-agency collaboration and coordination are both essential to ensuring the success of sustainable development and management of the Taklamakan Desert man-made ecosystem.

Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A.Mey.) Bge. is crucially important for stabilizing sand dunes in the desert area of the Junggar Basin and has thus been widely planted in the oasis–desert ecotone for windbreak and sand fixation purposes since the 1980s. The spatial distribution and structural characteristics of Haloxylon ammodendron plantations of three different ages—planted in 1983 (36a), 1997 (22a), and 2004 (15a)—on the southwestern edge of the Gurbantünggüt Desert were studied. The results showed that the spatial distribution patterns for the different stages of growth showed a trend of cluster that was random during the transformation from seedlings to juvenile and mature trees. Forest density for the 15a, 22a, and 36a plantations was, respectively, 1110, 1189, and 1933 plants ha⁻¹; the base stem diameter for the main forest layer was 5.85, 8.77, and 6.17 cm, respectively, and the tree height was concentrated in the range of 1.5–3.0 m, 2.0–3.5 m, and 1.5–2.5 m. In the regeneration layers, the proportion of seedlings was the largest in all three stand ages, followed by juvenile trees, and mature trees only appeared in the 22a plantation. The proportion of deadwood in the 36a forest was the highest, and there were no mature trees in the regeneration layer. These results indicate that the three Haloxylon ammodendron plantation stages were in the period of rising at 15a, stable and degenerate with increasing age at 22a, and at 36a the regeneration ability was very weak and presented degradation due to species competition for soil moisture, because of too many seedlings and mature plants. In this case, measures such as thinning could be taken to prevent rapid degradation and to accelerate regeneration when the stand age exceeds 20 years. Considering the sand fixation effect, the pressure of competition for water resources, and forest capacity for renewal and sustainability, the most suitable forest density in the Haloxylon ammodendron plantation would be 8.5–9 m² per plant.

Examining the features of vegetation change and analyzing its driving forces across an extensive time series in Xinjiang are pivotal for the ecological environment. This research can offer a crucial point of reference for regional ecological conservation endeavors. We calculated the fractional vegetation cover (FVC) using MOD13Q1 data accessed through the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. To discern the characteristics of vegetation changes and forecast future trends, we employed time series analysis, coefficient of variation, and the Hurst exponent. The correlation between climate factors and FVC was investigated through correlation analysis. Simultaneously, to determine the relative impact of meteorological change and anthropogenic actions on FVC, we utilized multiple regression residual analysis. Furthermore, adhering to China’s ecological functional zone classification, Xinjiang was segmented into five ecological zones: R1 Altai Mountains-Junggar West Mountain Forest and Grassland Ecoregion, R2 Junggar Basin Desert Ecoregion, R3 Tianshan Mountains Mountain Forest and Grassland Ecoregion, R4 Tarim Basin-Eastern Frontier Desert Ecoregion, and R5 Pamir-Kunlun Mountains-Altan Mountains Alpine Desert and Grassland Ecoregion. A comparative analysis of these five regions was subsequently conducted. The results showed the following: (1) During the first two decades of the 21st century, the overall FVC in Xinjiang primarily exhibited a trend of growth, exhibiting a rate of increase of 4 × 10⁻⁴ y⁻¹. The multi-year average FVC was 0.223. The mean value of the multi-year FVC was 0.223, and the mean values of different ecological zones showed the following order: R1 > R3 > R2 > R5 > R4. (2) The predominant spatial pattern of FVC across Xinjiang’s landscape is characterized by higher coverage in the northwest and lower in the southeast. In this region, 66.63% of the terrain exhibits deteriorating vegetation, while 11% of the region exhibits a notable rise in plant growth. Future changes in FVC will be dominated by a decreasing trend. Regarding the coefficient of variation outcomes, a minor variation, representing 42.12% of the total, is noticeable; the mean coefficient of variation stands at 0.2786. The stability across varied ecological zones follows the order: R1 > R3 > R2 > R4 > R5. (3) Factors that have a facilitating effect on vegetation FVC included relative humidity, daylight hours, and precipitation, with relative humidity having a greater influence, while factors that have a hindering effect on vegetation FVC included air temperature and wind speed, with wind speed having a greater influence. (4) Vegetation alterations are primarily influenced by climate change, while human activities play a secondary role, contributing 56.93% and 43.07%, respectively. This research underscores the necessity for continued surveillance of vegetation dynamics and the enhancement of policies focused on habitat renewal and the safeguarding of vegetation in Xinjiang.

Uranium and nitrate are common groundwater pollutants near in situ leach uranium mines. However, we still lack techniques that can simultaneously immobilize uranium and reduce nitrate using a single bacterial species. In this study, the potential of simultaneous uranium immobilization and nitrate reduction by a single AFODN (anaerobic Fe(II) oxidizing denitrifier), Clostridium sp. PXL2, was investigated. Clostridium sp. PXL2 showed tolerance to U(VI) concentrations varying from 4.2 µM to 42 µM. The U(VI) immobilization and nitrate reduction rates in groundwater samples inoculated with this bacterium reached up to 75.1% and 55.7%, respectively, under neutral conditions. Exposure to oxidation conditions led to further U(VI) removal but did not show any noticeable effect on nitrate reduction. The U(VI) immobilization rate reached up to 85% with an increased Fe(II) initial concentration, but this inhibited nitrate reduction. SEM (scanning electron microscopy) coupled with EDS (energy dispersive spectroscopy) showed that the U(VI) immobilization was mainly due to sorption to amorphous ferric oxides. U(VI) and nitrate bioremediation by AFODNs, including Clostridium sp. PXL2, may provide a promising method for the treatment of uranium- and nitrate-contaminated groundwater after the in situ leach mining of uranium.