The water holding characteristics of litter layer on the land from the converting cropland into forest land project in Datong County in the upper reaches of the Yellow River are studied experimentally. As time lasts

the thickness of litter layer incr eases and the litter layer storage capacity increases from 4.19 to 59.91t/hm2. The maximum water holding capacities in the undecomposed and half-decomposed litter layers for Picea crassifolia and Picea crassifolia + Betula platyphylla natural communities are 27.22 and 60.48 t/hm2

respectively. T he minimum capacities for Picea crassifolia + Hippop haerhamnoides and B etula platyphylla + Populuscathay ana+ Hippop haerhamnoides communities are 6.85 and 4.75t/hm2

respectively. The corr elation coefficient of the storage capacity is more than 0.96. The average thickness and water-holding ratio of litter layer for the art if icialplant communities are 44.20% and 33.28% of those of natural plant communities. The relations of the water holding capacity to age of forest

biomass

thickness

and storage capacity reaches extremely significant level ( a= 0.01).