The study looked at how vegetation in the northern Tianshan Mountain region changed from 1982 to 2006. They used data and math to see how vegetation coverage varied over time and space. Overall, the vegetation in the area wasn't great, but it was better in farming regions and near rivers. The study found that vegetation was getting worse in some areas, like the edges of oases and low mountains. However, in farming areas with good irrigation, vegetation was increasing. In general, vegetation in farming areas kept growing, while it decreased in low mountains. The Gobi desert area didn't show a clear pattern of change.