以历史文献、地方档案及古今地图为主,采用政区和地名演变考证的方法,逐一复原了清代末年(1902~1908年)在鄂尔多斯中、南部地区,即今伊金霍洛旗、鄂托克旗、鄂托克前旗、乌审旗及鄂尔多斯市区放垦的范围,这些复原的放垦地带或在今毛乌素沙地边缘地带或远离毛乌素沙地。文章通过对清末放垦背景及过程的分析,认为放垦避开了土质低劣易于沙化脆弱地段,所以清末放垦对毛乌素沙地沙漠化发展起的作用有限。

This article tries to restore the scope and location of the reclamation in the middle and south part of the Ordos area including Ejin Horo, Otog, Uxin banners and Ordos downtown area at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Then it compares them with that of today’s Mu Us Desert based on an evidential research of the changes of placenames and administrative divisions, with the materials collected from historical literatures, ancient and contemporary maps and local archives. It concludes that the land opened for cultivation at the end of the Qing Dynasty can be divided into the following tracts: 1) most part of today’s Ordos urban area, 2) the north part of Ejin Horo Banner and the area east to the Ulan Moron River, 3) part of Otog Banner and Taole County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Some of these regions were located at the edge of the Mu Us Desert while others beyond its scope. Moreover, with an analysis on the background and process of the reclamation, it argues that opening Inner Mongolia for cultivation at the end of the Qing Dynasty has evaded the fragile areas which is vulnerable to desertification. As a result the reclamation at the end of Qing Dynasty hardly play a role in the development of Mu Us Desert.