2026-01-27 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 2026 123(卷), 4(期), (null页)
The Taklamakan Desert, one of the world's largest and driest deserts, has traditionally been considered a biological void. Here, we demonstrate that large-scale ecological restoration is transforming this hyperarid environment into a carbon sink. By analyzing satellite and ground-based data, we find strong seasonal dynamics: During the wet season (Jul to Sep), precipitation increases to 16.3 mm/mo, enhancing vegetation coverage and photosynthetic activity and drawing down atmospheric CO2 by approximately three parts per million (ppm) relative to the dry-season levels. Long-term trends reveal significant increases in vegetation cover (6.8 & times; 10-4/y) and photosynthetic activity (6.1 & times; 10-3 W/m2/sr/& micro;m/y), accompanied by a strengthening net CO2 uptake (NEE trend: -5.2 & times; 10-12 kg/m2/s/y). These changes are spatially concentrated along the desert margins and their timing aligns with implementation of China's Three-North Shelterbelt Program. Our results provide the direct evidence that human-led intervention can effectively enhance carbon sequestration in even the most extreme arid landscapes, demonstrating the potential to transform a desert into a carbon sink and halt desertification. This underscores the critical role of dryland restoration in global carbon management strategies and highlights the Taklamakan Desert as a model for climate change mitigation through nature-based solutions and ecological engineering.