Abstract: In this study, we analyzed the impact of pika burrow mounds on characteristics of sandy grassland desertification by investigating features of soil, vegetation, sand flux and pika burrow mounds in the grasslands with different desertification degrees. Sand barriers made up of plant fibers were taken in the area with the largest pika number, in order to discuss the effectiveness of the control measure to reduce the number of pika. The results indicated that with increasing desertification degrees, soil properties were deteriorated, vegetation coverage was reduced, plant height was lower, and sand flux increased obviously. Vegetation made a lower sand flux near the ground surface, and resulted in a higher position of the largest sand flux. The difference of selected soil properties between the pika burrow mounds and the adjacent ground surface was not significant, and the impact of pika burrow mounds on wind erosion was little. With increasing desertification degrees until medium, the number and area of the pika burrow mounds increased, however, few mounds were found in the extremely severely and severely desertified grassland, indicating that pika number was the most in the medium desertified grassland. The control measure of sand barriers made up of plant fibers was effective to reduce the number of pika and facilitate vegetation recovery to some extent in the medium desertified grassland.

Key words: sand flux, soil properties, sand barriers made up of plant fibers