The human dimension of environmental change in the Ordos Dessert requires more meticulous studies． Since the early Qing Dynasty，Mongolian nomads gradually began to engage in animal husbandry in a fixed area． In the meantime，the region of Han Chinese immigrants gradually increased． But population changes and changes in productive activities alone cannot explain the evolution of the human construction activities and the relationship with the geographical environment． This essay examines landtenure relations，immigration and the construction of society with the “local experience”of farmers and herdsmen in production outside the Great Wall in Northern Shaanxi． The author concludes that the process of land reclamation was essentially process of constructing an immigrant society． Changes in land ownership issues emerged with land reclamation， deepening the opportunity， but also affect theunderlying causes of changes in the local natural environment． We cannot simply explain change and the environment linked to the production of farmers and herdsmen，but should be more meticulous and detail- oriented in analyzing the production processes．