'Warrior of sand' turns deserts into fertile land (2)

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'Warrior of sand' turns deserts into fertile land (2)

( ) 09:10, August 24, 2013

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Over the years, he consulted experts, universities and inspired locals to join the effort.

Now Zhang is showing off the fruits of his amygdalus pedunculata pall project, which are trees planted in the sand that produce edible oil, essential oils and health oils.

Chu Jianmin, assistant research fellow of the Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, said amygdalus pedunculata pall is a unique species of wild in China with high ecological values.

"It is a kind of oil-bearing tree whose seeds can be used for oil extraction and even made into biodiesel," Chu said.

At present, Zhang Yinglong's shelterbelt contains 150,000 mu of amygdalus pedunculata pall, 100,000 mu of pinus sylvestris and 70,000 mu of willows and poplars.

"Sixty to 70 percent of China's edible oil relies on imports," Zhang said, "China lacks grain, cultivated land and edible oil. If we can tap into desert resources without affecting its natural state, we are definitely making tremendous contributions. It is more meaningful than only planting trees."

In order to promote the sand industry, Zhang established a biotech company in 2011 and is preparing to build a processing plant with an annual output of 20,000 tons of edible oil and bi-products.

Zhang thinks that China needs more warriors of sand. In 2004, he set up an environmental conservation association in Shenmu. Its membership is 500 across a dozen of provinces and cities, and foreign countries, such as the United States, Canada, Japan and South Korea.

His success has inspired others. Experts, entrepreneurs and students from home and abroad visit Maowusu Desert to see the project.

"They come for tree planting, technology and cultural exchanges," he said, "I always believe that the culture of fighting sand is more effective in ecological environmental protection."

This year marks the 35-year operation of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, which was launched in order to reduce local grasslands becoming deserts.

According to statistics released by the State Forestry Administration, China has 2.6 million square km of desert, accounting for 27 percent of the country's total land area. The desert areas are scattered among 12 provincial-level regions in north China.

As one of many nations to suffer heavily from desertification, China has made preventive efforts in recent years. Its deserts are decreasing by 1,717 square km on an annual average basis.

"I hope what I am doing now will not turn into a mistake in the future," Zhang said. "An ecological constellation is formed through hundreds of millions of years, and destroyed by humans through hundreds of years. Now we want to recover it in several decades. It may have some problems to a certain degree."

He added, "So what counts is protecting our ecological environment from now on."