Abstract: Rocky desertification is a serious threat to socioeconomic development and the ecological security of karst areas. The control of rocky desertification has therefore become a major concern of both the Chinese government and local populations living in karst areas. In this paper, we used the national evaluation system for monitoring rocky desertification, and adjusted relevant indices. For example, we improved the system’s base rock exposure index with Normalized Difference Rock index (NDRI), substituted a soil erosion index for soil depth, and from these obtained the categories and spatial distribution of rocky desertification. We also studied the main factors and functional mechanisms of rocky desertification with consideration given to natural geographic conditions such as soil, physiognomy, elevation, slope and river network density, and, also human interference factors such as population density, GDP, population distribution, and from these got spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of rocky desertification in Qiandongnan prefecture. Results indicate that the primary soil types of rocky desertification in the research areas include yellow, limestone and paddy soils. These rocky desertification areas are more likely to contain limestone soil than purple soil, and least likely to contain paddy soil. The distribution of moderate or severe rocky desertification in areas with moderate to steep slope is 40%, where sloping agricultural land comprises a large proportion of the total. Rocky desertification is widely distributed in regions with precipitation between 1000-1200 mm, and this precipitation is the main factor causing greater soil erosion in limestone soil base and sloping agricultural areas. Moreover, desertification is closely related to the distribution of residential areas, population density, poverty and sloping agricultural land

Key words: NDRI, Qiandongnan prefecture, rocky desertification, spatial distribution