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.

Scientific and reasonable vegetation restoration plays a pivotal role in enhancing soil quality, boosting ecosystem services, and ensuring the long-term stable operation of photovoltaic (PV) power stations in desert regions. To elucidate the response mechanisms of soil under different vegetation restoration implemented in PV power stations located in sandy areas, this study selected the PV power plant in Duguitala Township of the Hobq Desert as a representative research site. A systematic evaluation was conducted on the effects of four artificial vegetation restoration strategies, namely, Leymus chinensis (LC), Glycyrrhiza uralensis (GU), Artemisia ordosica (AO), and Hedysarum scoparium (HS) under panels and between panels. This analysis aimed to clarify the influence of different vegetation restoration approaches on soil quality in sandy regions and their underlying mechanisms. The findings revealed that these vegetation restoration measures significantly impacted soil texture, bulk density (BD), soil porosity (SP), soil water content, and water retention capacity. Specifically, LC and GU markedly improved soil physical structure and water retention capacities. Vegetation restoration substantially enhanced soil nutrient accumulation, with LC achieving the highest levels of multiple soil nutrient indices (total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and available potassium (AK)), HS exhibiting the highest level of available phosphorus (AP), and GU demonstrating superiority in total potassium (TK). These diverse vegetation restoration strategies exhibited potential advantages in improving soil fertility and promoting nutrient cycling at locations under PV panels. The soil quality index (SQI) showed that the effectiveness of the different vegetation measures in enhancing soil quality was ranked GU>LC>HS>AO>CK. This study not only provides robust theoretical support for ecological restoration in desert PV plants, but also offers practical experience applicable to vegetation restoration efforts in similar ecological environments, thereby possessing significant ecological and practical value.

To investigate the soil improvement effects of different vegetation restoration measures during the operation and maintenance of photovoltaic power plants in the Hobq Desert. This study determined the soil grain size composition and soil nutrient content of 0–5 cm under four vegetation restoration measures and within the mechanical sand barriers by laser diffraction techniques and chemical experiments. The results showed that: (1) Soil particle size composition in the study area is predominantly sandy, with 1.02%, 6.63%, 5.34% and 2.61% less sand inLeymus chinensis(YC),Glycyrrhiza uralensis(GC),Artemisia ordosica Krasch(YH) andHedysarum scoparium(HB), respectively, compared to mechanical sand barriers (CK). Soil particle distributions of YC, GC, and HB showed better sorting and more concentrated patterns, and all four vegetation restoration measures had higher fractal dimensions than CK. (2) AN (Alkali-hydrolyzable Nitrogen) content performance: The content of YC, GC, and HB was significantly higher than that of YH and CK, AP (Available Phosphorus) content did not differ significantly between measures, AK (Available Potassium) content was higher than that of CK in all measures, with YC content being the highest and SOM content being the highest for GC. (3) Soil total nutrient is unstable across vegetation restoration measures. Overall, the performance showed that the three vegetation restoration measures, YC, GC, and HB, were more evident in the soil total nutrient content improvement. Each particle size characteristic parameter and soil nutrient response vegetation restoration measures ameliorate sandy soil in PV power plants during operation and maintenance. YC and GC have the most apparent effect on soil amelioration.

There is an inevitable relationship between the size of soil particles and the distribution of organic matter. The soil texture in desert photovoltaic areas is poor, with variations in soil particle size and organic matter. This study explores the heterogeneity of soil particle size and organic matter distribution at different zonal scales, aiming to clarify the impact of photovoltaic array construction on microtopography and, consequently, on these indicators. This will facilitate precise vegetation restoration based on the distribution of nutrients within the region. Baced on the Kubuqi Desert photovoltaic area as the research area, the soil particle size in the 0–30 cm soil layer and the distribution of soil organic matter in the main particle size range (<250 μm, <500 μm) in this area were analyzed. Fine sand (particle size 100–250 μm) was the main component of the soil; the carbon and nitrogen stocks in the upper 0–30 cm of soil diminished linearly with escalating wind speed gradient, from 70.76 Mg C ha⁻¹ to 53.82 Mg C ha⁻¹ and from 13.96 Mg N ha⁻¹ to 8.12 Mg N ha⁻¹. The total carbon and nitrogen levels in the two soil particle sizes, together with their contribution to total soil organic carbon, diminished as the wind speed gradient intensified, with the reduction in organic carbon content becoming stronger. The organic carbon content of soil particles <250 μm accounted for 63.7%–98.6% of the total soil organic carbon, while that of particles 250μm–500 μm only accounted for 3.32%–33.34%. SOC was significantly higher in the 0–5 cm layer than in the 5–30 cm layer in all areas of the photovoltaic array. Wind causes changes in sand particle transport in PV arrays, and may also alter the microclimate environment leading to differences in soil decomposition cycling processes, which can exhibit uneven organic carbon and nitrogen distribution between particles. Our research demonstrates the internal distribution of soil carbon and nitrogen reserves in each region of the photovoltaic array, establishing a robust foundation for subsequent vegetation restoration and plant species selection in each region, thereby implementing the “photovoltaic + ecological” governance model.