Objective This study aims to reveal the spatiotemporal dynamics and influencing factors of land desertification in Yanchi County along the southern edge of the Mu Us Sandy Land, and to provide scientific support for the effective prevention and control of regional desertification. Methods Based on Landsat TM/OLI imagery acquired from 2000 to 2024, this study integrated the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), surface albedo (Albedo), and the desertification difference index (DDI) with GIS spatial analysis to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of land desertification. Results (1) The land use pattern of Yanchi County showed a three-stage variation. In the initial stage, the cultivated land area shrank with the fluctuating expansion of sandy land area. In the middle stage, the significant growth of forest and grassland area drove the continuous shrinkage of sandy land area. In the later stage, the forest and grassland area and cultivated land area maintained a dynamic balance, and the sandy land area further decreased. (2) The overall desertification degree of the county showed a fluctuating mitigation trend, and its spatial pattern evolved from “severe in the north and mild in the south” to “mild in both the north and south”. The area of extremely severe desertified land decreased significantly from 2004 to 2020, but rebounded during 2020—2024. Although leapfrog transformation from mild and non-desertified land to extremely severe desertified land was rare, it indicated that the county still faced significant risks of extreme degradation. (3) Among natural factors, rising temperature, large interannual fluctuations in precipitation, and high potential evapotranspiration provided the foundation for the occurrence of desertification. Among anthropogenic factors, ecological projects dominated the reversal of desertification, while animal husbandry and industrial development induced local rebound of desertification. Conclusion Yanchi County has achieved remarkable results in desertification governance, with an optimized land use pattern and an overall mitigation of desertification, although the risk of rebound still exists. The combined effects of natural and anthropogenic factors have dominated this process of change.
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