 [sina] The first attempt to solve desertification involved planting 100,000 yuan (13,000 U.S. dollars) worth of willows, because conventional thought led Jiang to believe trees were the best solution to stop sandstorms.Later Jiang's team tried a different approach.A 2670-hectare (26.7 km²) section of grassland in the Bayinhushuo Gacha was fenced off and no grazing was allowed.