科尔沁沙地位于半干旱与半湿润气候过渡区，生态系统类型复杂且脆弱，是中国北方沙漠化最为严重的地区之一。然而，有关该区域土地沙漠化的生物地理学基础及治理成效的综合研究较为薄弱。科尔沁沙地深厚的沙质沉积（80~200 m）地层结构是该区域地下水储量相对丰富的基础。1985—2000 年，科尔沁沙地土地沙漠化防治成效显著，此后，治理出现瓶颈（沙漠化土地面积减小幅度下降，生物量恢复趋势平缓）。尤其在气候变化条件下，科尔沁沙地土地沙漠化防治面临的主要挑战是水资源胁迫。通过综述与分析科尔沁沙地生态脆弱的地理学基础、土地沙漠化与恢复过程、生物生产力变化与地下水动态等研究成果，为科尔沁沙地水土资源的科学管理及退化土地持续恢复提供了理论依据和数据支撑。

Abstract：The Horqin Sandy Lands, located in the ecologically sensitive transitional belt between semi-arid and semi-humid climatic zones, support a complex mosaic of ecosystems characterized by inherent vulnerability and represent one of the most severely desertified regions in northern China. Despite its environmental significance, comprehensive studies that systematically integrate the biogeographical mechanisms underlying desertification with rigorous assessments of control efficacy in this region remain notably scarce. The region's comparatively substantial groundwater resources are fundamentally underpinned by an extensive and porous sandy sedimentary stratum, measuring 80 to 200 meters in thickness, which serves as a critical aquifer system. The period from 1985 to 2000 witnessed remarkable progress in desertification control, marked by a significant reversal in land degradation trends. Nevertheless, the subsequent phase post-2000 has been defined by a pronounced operational bottleneck, manifesting as a markedly decelerated rate of reduction in desertified land area and a stagnating trajectory in the recovery of biomass. In the context of ongoing climate change, the foremost challenge confronting sustainable desertification management in the Horqin Sandy Lands is escalating water resource stress, which threatens the longevity of past restoration gains and future initiatives. This review systematically synthesizes and critically evaluates a substantial body of research pertaining to the geographical foundations of ecological vulnerability, the dynamic processes and mechanisms of desertification and ecological recovery, and the intricate interrelationships between biological productivity fluxes and groundwater dynamics. By constructing a comprehensive synthesis from these diverse research strands, this review aims to elucidate the complete narrative of desertification control tracing its foundations, achievements, and contemporary challenges， thereby providing a robust theoretical framework and empirical evidence base to inform the scientific management of soil and water resources and to guide the sustainable restoration of degraded landscapes in the Horqin Sandy Lands.