[Objective] In order to provide a scientific basis for more effectively guiding the sustainable development of soil resources and ecological environmental protection in the loess region of Southern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

soil particle size characteristics under different vegetation recovery patterns were studied.[Methods] Field standardized soil samples (0-100 cm) were collected

and 216 samples from nine different vegetation restoration methods (Prunus armeniaca forest

Amygdalus davidiana forest

Hippophae rhamnoides forest

Caragana korshinskii forest

C. korshinskii×P. armeniaca forest

P. armeniaca×H. rhamnoides forest

dam land

alfalfa land

and abandoned land) were measured with a Mastersizer 3000 laser particle size analyzer. The average particle size (MZ)

standard deviation (δ)

skewness (SK)

and kurtosis (KG) were calculated by the Fokker and Ward formula.[Results] ① Under different vegetation recovery patterns

the main particle size components were silt (0.002~0.05 mm) and very fine sand (0.05~0.1 mm)

and the proportion of silt content in each particle size classification was the largest. The contents of clay

coarse sand

very coarse sand

and medium sand in different vegetation restoration methods tended to be stable

and changed little with increasing soil depth. The content of silt

very fine sand

and fine sand fluctuated greatly with increasing soil depth

and each layer showed different trends. ② The variation of the coefficient of variation of each particle size was basically the same under different vegetation restoration methods. The coefficient of variation of clay was the highest

followed by sand and silt. ③ The average soil particle size followed the order of P. armeniaca×C. korshinskii forest > H. rhamnoides forest > A. davidiana forest > C. korshinskii forest > P. armeniaca forest > alfalfa land > P. armeniaca×H. rhamnoides forest > abandoned land > dam land. The sorting ability of abandoned land

A. davidiana forest

and C. korshinskii forest was better than that of other sites

with H. rhamnoides forest being the worst.[Conclusion] Soil particle size distribution in different vegetation restoration methods was mainly affected by utilization mode

vegetation type

and human activity disturbance.