Distribution of the rocky desertification and slope-land use patterns in Nanchuan Region of Chongqing City

Desertification distribution in Nanchuan region of Chongqing City is studied on the basis of 2004 TM and maps of geology, hydrometeorology and land use. The results show that: lithologically, the desert mainly distributes in the areas of pure limestone and the interlayed strata of pure limestone and dolomite, which belonging to the Jialingjiang Group, Fixian’guan Group and Leikoupo Group of the Triassic system in Mesozoic and the Majiagou Group of the lower Paleozoic Ordovician; hydro meteorologically, the desert mainly distributes in the areas of the central flatland with the annual temperature ranges from 10℃ to 16℃ and annual precipitation over 1200 mm; topographically, slightly and moderately deserted deserts mainly in 800~1200 m area, but severely deserted area in 600~800 m, and extremely deserted desert 500~600 m above sea level; in view of land use, slightly and moderately deserted deserts mainly in shrub land, the severely deserted one in non-irrigated farmland. According to the development of desertification and the distribution of the deserts, it is suggested that the gentle land (<5°) be used as paddy field by protective tillage and green food production land; and the gentle slope land (5°~15°) be used as cultivation and plantation areas; the relatively dip slope(15°~25°) as vine(honeysuckle)planting land, fruit planting land and ecologic grass land; the steep slope land (>25°) as water conservation forest and scenery forest by long term close hillsides to facilitate afforestation.