HOHHOT, March 12 -- Over the past decade, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has seen some 110 million instances of voluntary tree planting carried out by local residents, with over 500 million trees planted to date, according to local authorities.

During this period, the region has actively encouraged its residents from all walks of life to join the afforestation campaigns and has built new tree plantation bases or expanded the existing over 300 bases to facilitate these efforts, the regional forestry and grassland bureau said Tuesday.

All citizens of appropriate age can sign up through the region's online platforms to participate in voluntary tree planting, the bureau added.

The region is the largest and most comprehensive ecological functional area in north China. Home to four of the country's major deserts and four major sandy areas, Inner Mongolia has long been plagued by desertification and sandy land, and in recent years, the region has stepped up its afforestation efforts.