Search Results (38)

Desertification is an ever-growing global ecological and environmental problem. With the implementation of various ecological restoration initiatives, vegetation cover in many desert regions has increased substantially. Consequently, it is essential to understand the dynamics of ecosystem services (ESs) in desert ecosystems to better inform environmental management. This study integrates the InVEST model, RWEQ model, Spearman correlation analysis, trade-off and synergy coefficient method, and the Partial Least Squares Path Model (PLS-PM) to systematically assess the spatio-temporal dynamics and underlying driving mechanisms of five key ESs in the Kubuqi (KBQ) Desert, northern China. Specifically, the application of PLS-PM enables the identification of latent pathways, indirect effects, and multi-step causal relationships, which traditional correlation-based methods fail to capture. The results show that the KBQ Desert underwent substantial land use changes from 2000 to 2020: sandy land decreased by 2697.83 km², grassland increased by 1864.15 km², and cropland and urban land expanded by 519.15 km² and 257.74 km², respectively. ESs exhibited divergent trajectories. habitat quality (HQ), carbon sequestration (CS), soil conservation (SC), and water yield (WY) all showed overall increases, with WY and SC increasing particularly strongly, whereas Sand-fixation service (G) displayed a fluctuating trend. Over the past two decades, HQ–CS, HQ–G, and CS–G have shown moderately strong synergies, while CS–WY has exhibited a pronounced trade-off, and SC–G and SC–CS have displayed relatively weaker trade-offs. The spatial distribution results of trade-off and synergy relationships show that the KBQ Desert is dominated by a synergy relationship, and the main synergy relationship combinations are CS–HQ, CS–SC, and HQ–SC. The correlation coefficients between other ES pairs are generally low. Additionally, this study identifies key pathways through the PLS-PM method, such as PRE → NDVI → ES and LU → NDVI → ES, revealing the complex interactions between precipitation (PRE), land use (LU), and vegetation dynamics. The findings show that land use (LU) consistently exerts a strong negative impact on CS, while PRE and NDVI have a significant positive effect on WY. These pathways deepen our understanding of how climate and anthropogenic factors affect ESs, particularly the influence of temperature (TEMP) on evapotranspiration (ETP), which in turn affects WY. Additionally, the impact of NDVI on wind–sand fixation (G) and SC varies over time, with vegetation dynamics playing a particularly enhanced role in 2010 and 2015. These findings highlight the impact of ecological restoration and land management on regional ESs changes. A comprehensive understanding of the interactions between climate factors, LU, and vegetation dynamics will help in developing more effective intervention strategies. Full article

Understanding the community assembly mechanisms and stability of artificial sand-fixing forests is critical for the management of desert ecosystems. This study investigated the understory vegetation of four artificial sand-fixing shrub forests in the Mu Us Sandy Land to understand community assembly mechanisms and stability by analyzing niche characteristics, interspecific associations, and community stability. The results showed the following: (1) Lc (Leymus chinensis), Ee (Euphorbia esula), Gd (Grubovia dasyphylla), and Ch (Corispermum hyssopifolium) all have wide ecological niches and high importance values, serving as key species for maintaining community function. (2) The understory herbaceous plant communities of S. psammophila, A. ordosica and C. fruticosum exhibited low niche overlap, and the A. fruticosa understory herbaceous plant community showed high niche overlap. (3) The overall association of the understory herbaceous plant communities of S. psammophila, A. ordosica, and C. fruticosum is positive, while that of the understory herbaceous plant community of A. fruticosa is negative; the interspecific associations are weak, and the species show an independent distribution pattern. (4) Among the four understory herbaceous plant communities, the stability of the S. psammophila understory herbaceous plant community is relatively the highest, followed by A. ordosica and C. fruticosum understory herbaceous plant community, and the stability of A. fruticosa understory herbaceous plant community is the lowest. Furthermore, community stability was positively correlated with the variance ratio (VR) but negatively correlated with mean niche overlap. We recommend prioritizing S. psammophila and C. fruticosum for sand fixation and conserving key herbaceous species to optimize resource use and stabilize interspecific relationships. The novelty of this study lies in its integrated assessment of niche characteristics, interspecific associations, and community stability, and it primarily focused on the role of interspecific relationships. Future research should incorporate environmental drivers and shrub functional traits to disentangle the synergistic effects of biotic and abiotic factors, thereby providing a more robust scientific foundation for vegetation restoration in desert ecosystems. Full article

The Ebinur Lake Basin, a key ecological security barrier for windbreak and sand control in northern Xinjiang, is crucial to the ecological safety of western China and the northern sand-prevention belt. Combining the basin’s geographical characteristics, this study comprehensively evaluated ecosystem service functions from four dimensions: water conservation, soil and water conservation, windbreak and sand-fixation, and biodiversity maintenance. Simultaneously, it conducted an ecological sensitivity assessment from four aspects: soil erosion, desertification, land use, and salinization sensitivity. The assessments of the importance of ecosystem service function and ecological sensitivity results were combined to create a tiered zoning plan for the basin. The basin was divided into four first-level zones: the Ebinur Lake Water Area and Wetland Biodiversity Protection Zone, the Desert Vegetation Windbreak and Sand Fixation Ecological Restoration Zone, the Oasis Agricultural Ecological Function Protection Zone, and the Mountain Water Conservation Zone. Six second-level zones were also delineated: the Ebinur Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve, Gobi Vegetation Distribution and Soil Erosion Sensitive Zone, Desert Vegetation Restoration Zone, Jinghe-Bortala Valley Oasis Agricultural Ecological Function Zone, Mountain Water Conservation and Forest-Grass Protection Zone, and Sayram Lake Water Body. This assessment and zoning plan provide support and scientific basis for the basin’s comprehensive ecological management, integrated protection and governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts, as well as regional ecological development. Full article

The Kubuqi Desert represents a key ecologically fragile region in northern China, primarily functioning as a windbreak and sand-fixation barrier while also contributing to regional ecological balance. However, the area’s ecological vulnerability is pronounced, and investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation carbon storage and associated driving mechanisms is essential for the scientific formulation of ecological restoration strategies. This research incorporates multi-source remote-sensing datasets (including Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Level 2, Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), ERA5 daily meteorological data, GEDI Level 4B, SRTM GL1 v003, and ESA WorldCover v100) based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, and employs multiple machine-learning algorithms (validation metrics of the machine learning model: $R^2$ = 0.917, RMSE = 0.251) to develop a dynamic monitoring model of vegetation carbon storage in the Kubuqi Desert during the period 2019–2023. The analysis systematically evaluates the influence of climatic variables and anthropogenic activities on the spatiotemporal differentiation of carbon storage. The results indicate a slight upward trend in overall carbon storage across the study area (average annual increase of 0.4%), with high values predominantly concentrated in vegetated regions (up to 5.22 Mg/Ha) and low values distributed in bare lands and desert zones (0.5–0.7 Mg/Ha). Altitude, temperature, and slope serve as the primary driving factors governing carbon-storage variability. The findings suggest that scientifically guided vegetation restoration and optimized water-resource management can enhance the carbon-sink capacity of the Kubuqi Desert, offering a robust scientific basis for ecological governance and carbon budget assessment in arid and semi-arid desert ecosystems. Full article

Global climate change has intensified land desertification in the arid and semi-arid regions of northwestern China, highlighting the urgent need to cultivate plant species with ideal architecture and well-developed root systems to combat ecosystem degradation. Amorpha fruticosa is widely used as a windbreak and sand-fixation shrub; however, its rapid growth and high transpiration during the early planting stage often result in excessive water loss, low survival rates, and limited vegetation restoration effectiveness. Plant growth retardants (PGRts) are known to suppress apical dominance and promote branching. In this study, one-year-old A. fruticosa seedlings were treated with different combinations of paclobutrazol (PP₃₃₃) and uniconazole (S₃₃₀₇) to investigate their effects on plant morphology and biomass allocation; it aims to determine the optimal formula for cultivating shrub structures with excellent windbreak and sand-fixation effects in land desertification areas. The results showed that both PP₃₃₃ and S₃₃₀₇ significantly inhibited plant height while promoting basal stem diameter, branching, and root development. Among all treatments, the S₃₃₀₇ 200 mg·L⁻¹ + PP₃₃₃ 200 mg·L⁻¹ combination (SD3) was the most effective, resulting in the greatest increases in basal diameter, branch number, total root length, and root-to-shoot ratio, while significantly reducing height increment, leaf length and leaf area (p < 0.05). Under the S₃₃₀₇ 200 mg·L⁻¹ + PP₃₃₃ 300 mg·L⁻¹ treatment (SD4), leaf width and specific leaf area were reduced by 17.92% and 38.89%, respectively, compared with the control. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive or negative relationships among most growth traits, with leaf length negatively correlated with other morphological indicators. Fresh and dry weights of both aboveground and root tissues were significantly positively correlated with basal diameter (R = 0.38) and branch basal diameter (R = 0.33). Principal component analysis demonstrated that the SD3 treatment achieved the highest comprehensive score (2.91), indicating its superiority in promoting a compact yet robust plant architecture. Overall, the SD3 treatment improved drought resistance and sand-fixation capacity of A. fruticosa by “dwarfing and strengthening plants while optimizing root–shoot allocation.” These findings provide theoretical support for large-scale cultivation and vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid regions and offer a technical reference for growth regulation and windbreak and sand-fixation capacity in other xerophytic shrub species. Full article

Establishing artificial sand-fixing plantations is a key strategy for combating land desertification and enhancing soil carbon sequestration in arid regions. To evaluate the effects of Corethrodendron scoparium (Fisch. & C. A. Mey.) Fisch. & Basiner. plantations on soil carbon storage along the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, a systematic investigation of the 0–100 cm soil profile was conducted, using mobile sand dunes as the control (CK). The study analyzed dynamic changes in soil carbon fractions and their driving factors during the succession of C. scoparium plantations. After 40 years of vegetation restoration, total soil carbon, soil inorganic carbon (SIC), and soil organic carbon (SOC) contents increased by 0.87-, 0.77-, and 1.27-fold, respectively, while the Carbon Pool Management Index improved by 1.40-fold. Following 10 years of restoration, SIC content, as well as the ratios of particulate organic carbon/SOC, inert organic carbon (IOC)/SOC, and heavy-fraction organic carbon/SOC, increased with soil depth. In contrast, SOC content, the absolute amounts of SOC fractions, and the ratios of dissolved organic carbon/SOC, easily oxidizable organic carbon/SOC, light-fraction organic carbon/SOC, and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC)/SOC all showed decreasing trends with depth. Overall, C. scoparium plantations enhanced the contents of both labile and stable SOC fractions. The proportions of IOC and MAOC within SOC rose from 52.21% and 34.19% to 60.96% and 45.51%, respectively, indicating greater stability of the soil carbon pool. Structural equation modeling and redundancy analysis revealed that soil pH, bulk density, and soil water content were significantly negatively correlated with carbon fractions, whereas total nitrogen, vegetation cover, C/N ratio, electrical conductivity, available phosphorus, and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen were identified as the main drivers of carbon fraction variation. Full article

Monoculture and legume–grass mixed cropping are the two most common planting methods, with mixed cropping generally demonstrating higher hay yield and superior nutritional quality compared to monoculture. However, research on legume–grass mixed cropping for establishing cultivated pastures in typical sand-fixing vegetation areas of the Mu Us Sandy Land remains scarce. These knowledge gaps have hindered the synergistic integration of forage production and ecological restoration in the region. This study conducted mixed cropping trials in the sand-fixing vegetation zone of the Mu Us Sandy Land using Dahurian wildrye (Elymus dahuricus), Mongolian wheatgrass (Agropyron mongolicum), and Standing milkvetch (Astragalus adsurgens) to investigate the effects of species combinations and planting ratios on forage productivity and nutritional quality, aiming to determine the optimal planting strategy. Results showed that in the first establishment year, the yield of all mixed cropping systems significantly exceeded that of monocultured Dahurian wildrye and Mongolian wheatgrass. All mixed cropping combinations exhibited land equivalent ratios (LER) and relative yield totals (RYT) below 1, indicating varying degrees of interspecific competition during the first year, with grass species generally demonstrating stronger competitive abilities than legumes. Mixed-cropped forages showed higher crude protein, crude fat, and crude ash content compared to monocultures, alongside lower neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) levels, suggesting improved relative feed value (RFV). Among the combinations, E₅A₅ and E₆A₄ (5:5 and 6:4 ratio of Dahurian wildrye to Standing milkvetch) achieved higher RFV, with RFV gradually declining as the legume proportion decreased. In conclusion, both monoculture and legume–grass mixed cropping are viable in the Mu Us Sandy Land’s sand-fixing vegetation areas and the E₅A₅ combination (5:5 ratio of Dahurian wildrye to Standing milkvetch) as having the highest overall score, demonstrating that this mixed cropping ratio optimally balances yield and nutritional quality, making it the recommended planting protocol for the region. This mixed cropping system offers a theoretical foundation for efficiently establishing artificial pastures in the Mu Us Sandy Land, supporting regional pastoral industry development and desertification mitigation. Full article

Plant species diversity and spatial distribution patterns are critical for understanding ecosystem dynamics in arid and fragile environments. This study investigates the diversity, spatial distribution, and interspecific associations of shrubs and herbaceous plants in the transition zone of the desert oasis located in the Hexi Corridor and southern edge of the Badanjilin Desert, China. Vegetation data were collected across sample plots spanning three counties in Zhangye City. Important values, diversity indices, and spatial distribution metrics were calculated to evaluate plant species dominance and community structure. Interspecific relationships were analyzed using variance ratio (VR), clumping indicators, and corrected χ² tests. The shrub community exhibited low species diversity (H′ = 1.754) and was dominated by Reaumuria songarica (Pall.) Maxim (IV = 111.175), reflecting its superior adaptability to arid conditions. In contrast, the herbaceous community displayed higher diversity (H′ = 2.498), with Aristida adscensionis L. (IV = 48.6174) as the dominant species. Both communities showed predominantly aggregative spatial distribution patterns, influenced by localized resource availability and adaptive strategies. Weak interspecific associations characterized the shrub community, with limited competition among dominant species, while the herbaceous community demonstrated significant negative correlations, indicating stronger resource competition. The study highlights the contrasting diversity and ecological roles of shrubs and herbaceous plants in arid ecosystems, shaped by resource limitations and environmental stressors. Effective conservation strategies are needed to protect dominant species and sustain ecosystem resilience in desert regions. Future research should focus on below-ground interactions and long-term monitoring to enhance understanding of species coexistence and community stability. Full article

The genus of Nitraria L. are Tertiary-relict desert sand-fixing plants, which are an important forage and agricultural product, as well as an important source of medicinal and woody vegetable oil. In order to provide a theoretical basis for better protection and utilization of species in the Nitraria L., this study collected global distribution information within the Nitraria L., along with data on 29 environmental and climatic factors. The Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model was used to simulate the globally suitable distribution areas for Nitraria L. The results showed that the mean AUC value was 0.897, the TSS average value was 0.913, and the model prediction results were excellent. UV-B seasonality (UVB-2), UV-B of the lowest month (UVB-4), precipitation of the warmest quarter (bio18), the DEM (Digital Elevation Model), and annual precipitation (bio12) were the key variables affecting the distribution area of Nitraria L, with contributions of 54.4%, 11.1%, 8.3%, 7.4%, and 4.1%, respectively. The Nitraria L. plants are currently found mainly in Central Asia, North Africa, the neighboring Middle East, and parts of southern Australia and Siberia. In future scenarios, except for a small expansion of the 2030s scenario model Nitraria L., the potential suitable distribution areas showed a decreasing trend. The contraction area is mainly concentrated in South Asia, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, North Africa, Libya, as well as in areas of low suitability in northern Australia, where there was also significant shrinkage. The areas of expansion are mainly concentrated in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau to the Iranian plateau, and the Sahara Desert is also partly expanded. With rising Greenhouse gas concentrations, habitat fragmentation is becoming more severe. Center-of-mass migration results also suggest that the potential suitable area of Nitraria L. will shift northwestward in the future. This study can provide a theoretical basis for determining the scope of Nitraria L. habitat protection, population restoration, resource management and industrial development in local areas. Full article

This article is devoted to the study of the Quaternary aeolian sands of the boreal zone of north Asia. Using the example of the study reference sections of the Selenga Dauria (Western Transbaikalia), it was established that the activation of aeolian processes is determined by the complex interaction of natural and anthropogenic factors. Natural factors include neotectonic movements; wide distribution of alluvial and lacustrine-alluvial deposits; a sharply continental semi-arid climate; and forest-steppe and steppe vegetation. Among the anthropogenic factors, the leading ones are deforestation, plowing of land and construction of new settlements, roads and other line structures. The obtained radiocarbon dating of buried soils and coal from ancient fire pits indicates the activation of aeolian processes during the Holocene. The main sources for aeolian transport (winnowing) are sands located in the areas of river and lake beaches, floodplains and river terraces. Almost all aeolian sands of the boreal zone were formed as a result of short-range wind transport. They form mini-deserts unfixed by vegetation, with active aeolian processes, dunes, barkhans and deflationary basins. Aeolian swells and blowout basins characterize aeolian landscapes weakly fixed by vegetation. It is noted that aeolian deposits of the boreal zone of north Asia, in contrast to similar sands of the subtropical and tropic zones, consist of coarser-grained material. Medium- and fine-grained sands dominate their composition, which is polymineral and well-sorted. In subtropical and tropical deserts, they are predominantly monomineral, fine and fine-grained. At the same time, mainly minerals that are unstable to weathering (feldspars, plagioclases, pyroxenes and amphiboles) represent the mineralogical composition of the studied aeolian sands. Weathering-resistant minerals dominate the sands of classical deserts: quartz, leucoxene, ilmenite, epidote, zircon, garnets, tourmaline, rutile and others. Modern aeolian landscapes are a unique natural formation for the boreal zone of north Asia and can be successfully used for the development of ecotourism. Full article

Dryland ecosystems are highly sensitive to climate change, making vegetation monitoring crucial for understanding ecological dynamics in these regions. In recent years, climate change, combined with large-scale ecological restoration efforts, has led significant greening in China’s arid areas. However, the mechanisms through which seasonal climate variations regulate vegetation growth are not yet fully understood. This study hypothesizes that seasonal climate change affects net primary productivity (NPP) of vegetation by influencing phenology. We focused on China’s Windbreak and Sand-Fixation Ecological Function Conservation Areas (WSEFCAs) as representative regions of dryland vegetation. The Carnegie–Ames–Stanford Approach (CASA) model was used to estimate vegetation NPP from 2000 to 2020. To extract phenological information, NDVI data were processed using Savitzky–Golay (S–G) filtering and threshold methods to determine the start of season (SOS) and end of season (EOS). The structural equation model (SEM) was constructed to quantitatively assess the contributions of climate change (temperature and precipitation) and phenology to variations in vegetation NPP, identifying the pathways of influence. The results indicate that the average annual NPP in WSEFCAs increased from 55.55 gC/(m²·a) to 75.01 gC/(m²·a), exhibiting uneven spatial distribution. The pathways through which seasonal climate affects vegetation NPP are more complex and uneven. Summer precipitation directly promoted NPP growth (direct effect = 0.243, p < 0.001) while also indirectly enhancing NPP by significantly advancing SOS (0.433, p < 0.001) and delaying EOS (−0.271, p < 0.001), with an indirect effect of 0.133. This finding highlights the critical role of phenology in vegetation growth, particularly in regions with substantial seasonal climate fluctuations. Although the overall ecological environment of WSEFCAs has improved, significant regional disparities remain, especially in northwestern China. This study introduces causal mediation analysis to systematically explore the mechanisms through which seasonal climate change impacts vegetation NPP in WSEFCAs, providing new insights into the broader implications of climate change and offering scientific support for ecological restoration and management strategies in arid regions. Full article

Background: The restoration of the degraded sandy grasslands in Hulun Buir is crucial for maintaining the local ecological balance and sustainable development. Caragana microphylla Lam., a shrub species widely employed in the restoration of sandy vegetation. It is essential to understand its impact on the understory vegetation and soil properties during this process. Methods: This study employed ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and redundancy analysis to systematically analyze the impact of C. microphylla on the three critical stages of desertified grassland vegetation recovery: semi-fixed dunes, fixed dunes, and sandy grasslands. It provided strategies for the restoration of desertified grassland vegetation and offered additional theoretical evidence for the role of vegetation in promoting the recovery of sandy lands. Results: (1) As the degree of vegetation recovery in desertified grasslands increases, the species richness of understory vegetation, Shannon–Wiener index, community height, and biomass also increase. Both the community height and biomass within shrublands are higher than outside, with species richness within the shrublands being higher than outside during the semi-fixed and fixed-sand land stages. (2) In both the 0~10 cm and 10~20 cm soil layers, soil water content showed an increasing trend, peaking in the sandy grassland stage (1.2%), and was higher within the shrublands than outside. The soil water content at 10~20 cm was higher than in the 0~10 cm layer. In both layers, clay and silt content gradually increased with the degree of vegetation recovery in the sandy land, and higher within the shrublands than outside, while the opposite was true for sand content. (3) In both soil layers, soil organic carbon gradually increased with the degree of vegetation recovery, peaking in the sandy grassland stage (4.12 g·kg⁻¹), and was higher within the shrublands than outside. Total nitrogen increased from the semi-fixed-sand land stage to the fixed-sand land stage, with higher levels within the shrublands than outside at all stages. Soil pH within the shrublands decreased as the degree of vegetation recovery increased. There was no significant change in the total phosphorus content. (4) In both soil layers, soil physicochemical characteristics accounted for 59.6% and 46.9% of the vegetation changes within and outside the shrublands, respectively, with the main influencing factors being the soil particle size, total nitrogen, soil water content, and soil organic carbon. Conclusions: In the process of sandy grassland restoration, C. microphylla facilitates the growth and development of vegetation by enhancing the underlying soil physicochemical properties, specifically regarding the soil particle size distribution, soil water content, soil organic carbon, and total nitrogen. Full article

The Hunshandake Sandy Land is one of the largest sandy areas in China and the closest source of sand dust to the Beijing and Tianjing areas. Sand fixation by vegetation is considered the most efficient strategy for sand control and sustainable development, so clarifying the vegetation coverage and plant adaptation characteristics in the Hunshandake Sandy Land is helpful in guiding restoration and improving local sustainability. Here, we investigated the vegetation growth on the mobile sand dunes in the Hunshandake Sandy Land and specified the photosynthesis and stomatal characteristics of the pioneer plants for sand fixation. The vegetation survey showed that the windward slopes of the mobile sand dunes had far lower plant coverage (6.3%) and plant biodiversity (two species m⁻²) than the leeward ones (41.0% and eight species m⁻², respectively). Elymus sibiricus L. and Agriophyllum squarrosum (L.) Moq. were the only two sand-fixing pioneer plants that grew on both the windward and leeward slopes of the mobile sand dunes and had higher plant heights, greater abundance, and more biomass than other plants. Physiological measurements revealed that Elymus sibiricus L. and Agriophyllum squarrosum (L.) Moq. also had higher photosynthetic rates, transpiration rates, and water use efficiency. In addition, the stomata density (151–197 number mm⁻²), length (18–29 μm), and area index (13–19%) of these two pioneer species were smaller than those of the common grassland species in Inner Mongolia, suggesting that they were better adapted to the dry habitat of the mobile sand dunes. These findings not only help in understanding the adaptive strategies of pioneer plants on mobile sand dunes, but also provide practical guidance for sand dune restoration and the sustainable development of local areas. Pioneer sand-fixing plant species that are well adapted to sand dunes can be used for sowing or aerial seeding in sand fixation during ecosystem restoration. Full article

Drought stress significantly limits the function and stability of desert ecosystems. This research examines the distribution characteristics of soil moisture across different microtopographic types in the semi-fixed dunes located at the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert. We constructed a path model to examine the direct and indirect impacts of topography, shrub vegetation, and herbaceous vegetation. The data encompassed soil moisture, topography, and vegetation variables, which were collected from field experiments to ensure their accuracy and relevance. Furthermore, SHAP models based on machine learning algorithms were utilized to elucidate the specific mechanisms through which key factors influence soil moisture. The results of the descriptive statistics indicate the highest surface soil moisture content, recorded at 1.21%, was observed at the bottom of the dunes, while the leeward slopes demonstrated elevated moisture levels in the middle and deep soil layers, with measurements of 2.25% and 2.43%, respectively. Soil moisture at different depths initially decreases and then increases with greater herbaceous cover and slope direction, while surface soil moisture follows a similar trend in terms of height difference, with 3 m serving as the boundary for trend changes. Middle and deep soil moistures initially increase and then decrease with greater biomass and shrub coverage, with 30 g and 40% serving as the boundary for trend changes respectively. This study elucidates the spatial distribution patterns and influencing factors of soil moisture in semi-fixed dunes, offering valuable references for the establishment of sand-stabilizing vegetation in desert regions. Full article

Reforestation of native shrub on shifting sand dunes has been widely used for desertification control in semi-arid grassland in Northeast China. Previous studies have confirmed that plantation establishment facilitates fixing sand dunes, restoring vegetation, and improving soil properties, but very few have focused on the response of the soil fungal community. In this study, a chronosequence of Caragana microphylla (CM) shrub sand-fixation plantations (8-, 19-, and 33-year-old), non-vegetated shifting sand dunes (0 years), and adjacent natural CM forests (NCFs; 50-year-old) in the Horqin sandy land were selected as experimental sites. Soil properties including enzymatic activities were determined, and the composition and structure of the soil fungal community were investigated using the Illumina MiSeq sequencing technique based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA. This study aimed to (1) describe the response of the soil fungal community to revegetation onto a moving sand dune by planting a native shrub plantation; (2) determine the main soil factors driving the succession of the fungal community; and (3) discuss whether the soil fungal community can be restored to its original state by reforestation. The reforestation of CM significantly ameliorated soil properties, increased soil fungal diversity, and altered the composition and structure of the soil fungal community. Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zoopagomycota were the dominant phyla in all sites. Ascomycota did not respond to plantation development, whereas the other two dominant phyla linearly increased or decreased with the plantation age. The relative abundance of dominant genera varied with sites and showed a waning and waxing characteristic. The composition and structure of the soil fungal community in the 33-year CM plantation were very close to that of the NCF, indicating the restorability of the soil fungal community. The succession of the soil fungal community was directly driven by soil properties, of which soil moisture, organic matter, total N, urease, and protease were the main affecting factors. Full article