[Objective] Groasis Waterboxx and technology from Holland were introduced to solve the problem of sand dunes afforestation

and the technology application were analyzed. [Methods] Desert plants such as Haloxylon ammodendron

Hedysarum scoparium

Caragana korshinskii

Tamarix chinensis and other sand-fixing plants were used in Groasis Waterboxx afforestation on the mobile and semi-fixed dunes. Wind erosion was observed after the waterboxx plantation

and the ground temperature

seedling survival rate

dry weight

soil water-moisture content were measured. [Results] In the case of spring afforestation on dunes with Groasis Waterboxx

the wind erosion degree of mobile dunes was 2.0~6.0 times of the one of semi-fixed dune. Afforestation on mobile dunes was not as good as the one on semi-fixed dunes. Either for the mobile dunes or the semi-fixed dunes

the wind erosion degree on windward sides exhibited a normal rank at dune positions as: the top > the middle > bottom. (2) In terms of temperature effect

we observed that

in high temperature season

Groasis Waterboxx effectively reduced nearly 50% of soil temperature in the seedlings rhizosphere comparing with the one on bare ground. It can protect seedlings from high temperature burn; whereas in low temperature season

it maintained the rhizosphere surface ground temperature at about 5 ℃

can prevent seedling from low temperature freezing injury. (3) Using Groasis Waterboxx afforestation on sand dunes

moisture content of 0-40 cm topsoil was maintained to be a relative stable level of 6%~12%

ensuring the seedlings a constant supply of soil water. (4) In the end

afforestation using Groasis Waterboxx on dunes significantly improved the seedlings survival rate by 30%~60%

which may provide new idea and pattern to those difficult site conditions for afforestation. [Conclusion] Groasis Waterboxx afforestation is more applicable on semi-fixed dunes than on moving dunes. It can significantly increase the survival rate of seedlings.