Sandy desertification is both an inherently interesting bioscience and geoscience topic and an important topic from the perspectives of the ecological environment and food security. It has therefore increasingly attracted the attention of the public, in addition to researchers, government officials, and international organizations. This paper reviews the development of knowledge on sandy desertification, research progress in understanding the physical and biological processes involved in sandy desertification, and the significance of wind activity in determining the increases and decreases in sandy desertification. Based on this review of current research on the mechanisms and processes of sandy desertification, combining geological and biological sciences appears likely to improve our understanding of this complex system, thereby providing a more holistic understanding of sandy desertification at a range of temporal and spatial scales.