A process of infiltration from the soil surface to form soil water is known as soil infiltration; this is the only way for plants to absorb and use soil water. This process is closely related to nutrient migration, surface runoff, and soil erosion. The objectives of this study were to quantify the effect of typical plant communities on soil infiltration performance, reveal the interaction between soil infiltration rate and soil characteristics and plant roots, and determine the primary influencing elements on the Xilamuren grassland. The ring knife method was used to determine the soil infiltration rate at the 0–30 cm soil layer of six typical vegetation communities. The results indicated that the infiltration rate of the Koeleria macrantha community was highest at the soil depth of 0–5 cm, while that of the Convolvulus ammannii community was lowest, reaching 4.25 mm·min⁻¹ and 0.53 mm·min⁻¹, respectively. The soil infiltration rate of different plant communities gradually declined with the increment of soil depth. The strongest correlations were found between bulk density, total porosity, organic matter, root characteristics, and soil infiltration rate. The bulk density, initial water content, capillary porosity, and clay content were the primary influencing factors acting on soil infiltration in the region. Other factors indirectly impacted the infiltration rate by modifying bulk density, which was a crucial limiting factor determining the infiltration rate in the research region. The study’s findings will give theoretical and practical assistance for the prevention and management of soil deterioration and grassland restoration in this area.

Water resources are crucial factors that limit vegetation recovery, and rational planning of silvicultural patterns is essential for the efficient utilization of water in arid and semi-arid regions. This study examined the water utilization strategies of pure shrubs (pure stands of Artemisia ordosica and pure stands of Salix psammophila) and mixed shrubs (mixed stands of A. ordosica S. psammophila, and mixed stands of A. ordosica Caragana korshinskii) from the rainy to dry seasons using stable isotope techniques and MixSIAR modeling in the Mu Us Sandy Land in the semi-arid region of China. Mixed shrubs were significantly more effective than pure shrubs in utilizing the primary water sypply from the soil layer. During the rainy season in August, shallow soil water was used to a greater extent, contributing 33.78 ± 2.18%, with no significant difference in the contribution proportion. After a brief drought during the transition period in September, there was a significant increase in the use of the primary water-absorbing soil layer across all vegetation types, with a maximum increase of 39.53%. Conversely, during the dry season in October, after an extended drought, the contribution of the primary water supply layer to vegetation water absorption decreased compared with the transition period, with a maximum increase of only 17.88%. The results of this study revealed that variations in water conditions and vegetation configurations influence the water utilization patterns of the vegetation. This study offers a scientific basis and theoretical support for understanding ecological water use, the rationale behind vegetation establishment, and an assessment of plantation community stability in sandy regions.

The atmospheric conditions of desert environments are important for the protection of Salix psammophila Sand Barrier, and these conditions can affect and change the structure and performance of the sand barrier, causing them to lose their wind proofing and sand fixing benefits. In this study, we have first examined the key environmental factors that affect the exposure of S. psammophila sand barrier. Then, we assessed how key factors in the desert atmospheric environment affect structural aging and performance. The relative crystallinity and chemical composition changes in the sand barrier were measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the main degradation factors and processes were discussed. The results showed that the degradation degree of the exposed S. psammophila sand barrier was mainly affected by moisture and ultraviolet radiation. Lignin was the main component and the source of photodegradation and photodiscoloration observed in the sand barrier. However, other polysaccharides, such as cellulose and hemicellulose, were less affected by photodegradation. The stress generated by alternating desorption-absorption was the main cause of the expansion and contraction, deformation, cracking, and warping observed in S. psammophila sand barrier. We also found a series of irreversible changes and losses that occurred, which affected the natural material properties of S. psammophila sand barrier exposed to atmospheric conditions for several years. Exposure times between 5 and 7 years were the most important turning point in time for determining the deterioration of the S. psammophila sand barrier. Our results highlighted the importance of the interactions between atmospheric factors and the exposed atmospheric sections of the S. psammophila sand barrier from the perspective of environmental effects. However, the exact mechanisms of the sand barrier deterioration still need further investigation. Nevertheless, our overall findings advanced the current understanding of the environmental effects of S. psammophila sand barrier for ecological restoration and desertification reversal, especially in stressful desert environments.

The adventitious roots of desert shrubs respond to a nabkhas soil environment by adjusting their configuration characteristics, but the mechanism of this response and the main influencing factors are still unclear. To illustrate this response pattern, Nitraria tangutorum Bobrov, Sovetsk. in West Ordos National Nature Reserve was studied, and the shrub was divided into three growth stages: the rudimental stage, developing stage, and stabilizing stage. A combination of total root excavation and root tracing was used to investigate their adventitious root morphology. The results show the following: (1) As the shrub grows, the ability to accumulate sand into nabkhas increases. (2) The soil nutrient accumulation capacity increased with shrub growth. The “fertilizer island effect” was formed in the nutrient developing stage and stabilizing stage of nabkhas soil, but the rudimental stage was not formed. (3) The adventitious root architecture of N. tangutorum at different growth stages was all herringbone with a simple branch structure. With the growth in N. tangutorum, the root diameter of each level gradually increased, the branches of the shrub grew gradually complicated, and the range of resource utilization gradually expanded. (4) Redundancy analysis (RDA) results show that soil organic carbon (SOC) was the main factor affecting the adventitious root architecture. The results of this study reveal the adjustments the adventitious root architecture of N. tangutorum make in order to adapt to the stress environment and provide data support for the protection of natural vegetation in West Ordos.