Sandydesertificationislanddegradationcharacterizedbywinderosionmainlyresultedfromtheexcessivehumanactivitiesinarid,semiaridandpartofsub-humidregionsinnorthernChina.Theresearchonsandydesertificationhasexperiencedmorethan5decadesofarduouscourseofthestrugglealongwiththeestablishmentanddevelopmentofChina′sdesertscience.Researchesinthisfieldhavemadeagreatcontributiontothenationaleconomicconstruction,andenvironmentalprotection.Thispaperfocusesonpresentingthemajorprogressandachievementsinthesandydesertificationresearchduringthelast50years,includingthestagesofstudyonsandydesertification,backgroundenvironmentofsandydesertificationanditschanges,theconception,causes,process,monitoringandassessmentofsandydesertification,thevegetationsuccession,landscapeecology,plantphysiology,impactsonecosystem,high-effectiveuseofwaterandlandresourcesandsustainabledevelopmentinsandydesertifiedregions,sandydesertificationcontrolmodelsandtechniquesetc.
