Abstract: Ecological sensitivity evaluation is one of the important foundations for studying the ecological status of territorial space and identifying different kinds of ecological protection spaces. This paper studies the spatio-temporal evolution of desertification ecological sensitivity in Inner Mongolia autonomous region from the year 1980 to 2020 at 1 km×1 km spatial grid scale based on quantitative evaluation method of desertification ecological sensitivity. The results show that: ①The spatial distribution of desertification sensitivity grade represents a basic pattern of lower in the east and higher in the west and north of Inner Mongolia;②38.3% of the grids remain the same sensitivity grade unchanged, and 37.9% of the grids maintain the sensitivity grade below moderate, and 38.8% of the grids maintain the sensitivity grade above moderate sensitivity (inclusive); ③Places such as mountain area of the northern section of great Khingan mountains, northern part of Hulunbuir grassland, West Liaohe plain, Hetao-Tumochuan plain and eastern and southern part of Ordos plateau remain low sensitivity grade or continue to reduce, while places such as southern part of Alxa plateau, the region on the north of hunshandake sand land remain high sensitivity grade or continue to increase. This study can provide scientific methods and spatial basis for delimitation of ecological protection and related policy-making.

Key words: desertification, ecological sensitivity, temporal-spatio evolution, Inner Mongolia autonomous region