Dust and sandstorm: ecosystem perspectives on dryland hazards in Northeast Asia: a review

Sinkyu Kang; Sang Hun Lee; Nanghyun Cho; Casmir Aggossou and Jungwha Chun

doi:10.1186/s41610-021-00205-x

pISSN 2287-8327 eISSN 2288-1220

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Published online November 26, 2021
https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-021-00205-x

Journal of Ecology and Environment (2021) 45:25

Dust and sandstorm: ecosystem perspectives on dryland hazards in Northeast Asia: a review

Sinkyu Kang¹, Sang Hun Lee², Nanghyun Cho¹, Casmir Aggossou¹ and Jungwha Chun³

Department of Environmental Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea; Center for Global Cooperation, Korea Environment Institute, Sejong, Korea; Forest ICT Research Center, National Institute of Forest Science, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence to:Sinkyu Kang

Received: September 23, 2021; Accepted: November 4, 2021

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Abstract

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Abstract

Background

A review of the literature was carried out to study dust and sandstorm (DSS) in terms of its ecosystem processes and relationship to other dryland disasters in Northeast Asia. Drylands are ecosystems that include grasslands, semi-deserts, and deserts, and these types of ecosystems are vulnerable due to their low primary productivity that depends on a small amount of precipitation.>

Results

Drought, dust, desertification, and winter livestock disasters (called dzud) are unique natural disasters that affect the region. These disasters are related in that they share major causes, such as dryness and low vegetation cover that combine with other conditions, wind, cold waves, livestock, and land-surface energy, to dramatically impact the ecosystem.>

Conclusions

The literature review in this study illustrates the macroscopic context of the spatial and temporal patterns of DSS according to geography, climate, and vegetation growth in the drylands of Northeast Asia. The effects of ocean climates and human activities were discussed to infer a possible teleconnection effect of DSS and its relations to desertification and dzud.

Keywords: Dust and sandstorm (DSS), Desertification, Dzud, Dryland hazard, Ecosystem