Heavy rain event has a significant influence on soil water content in arid area.Through field investigatioq on soil water content under Nitraria tangutorun nebkhas in different sucession periods before and after a heavy rain event(47.6 mm) at Minqin County

its effects on soil water content and reservation of nebkhas were analyzed.Results indicate that(1) soil water content and reservation of nebkhas in different succession periods have a consistent variation trend in 1 m thick soil layer.The range of vertical variation for soil water content is biggest in rudimental period and it has a most unstabilized variation.Stabilized period has anot her extreme.(2) Soil water content replenishment depths of nebkhas in diff erent succession periods are different from each other.Ma ximum soil water content replenishment depth of nebkhas in developing and degrading period is 50 cm and in rudimental and stabilizing period

30 cm.(3) The total amounts of soil water content replenishment in different succession periods are diff erent from each other.The total amount of soil water content replenishment in developing period is the biggest

about 74.66% 90.06% of the total preci pitation and in stabilizing period

the smallest

about 12.27% 12.86% of the total precipitation.