Restoration status of 38-year-old Haloxylon ammodendron plantations without irrigation under different catchment afforestation models

In the desert-oasis transition zone at the southern edge of the Junggar Basin, limited precipitation and clayey soil pose significant challenges for shrub forest ecological barriers. In the 1980s, a large-scale Haloxylon ammodendron plantations project was initiated to address land desertification. This study focused on No-irrigation H. ammodendron plantation forests, still thriving in the Mosuowan reclamation area, forest stand characteristics and soil conditions were surveyed and analysed to study the recovery of artificial forests under different afforestation models and to determine the appropriate planting model for artificial forests in arid areas. The results showed that H. ammodendron plantations with a planting density of 480–625 Plants/ha formed stable communities after 38 years without irrigation. Their retention rate is above 60 %, vegetation coverage remains at 9.06 %–34.27 %, and soil moisture is above 5 %, reaching natural community levels. Therefore, a planting density of 480 trees per hectare, with a spacing of 6 m between plants and 3.5 m between rows, is most conducive to plant growth and survival, enabling the creation of a sustainable artificial forest that does not require irrigation. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for the restoration and maintenance of ecosystems in desert-oasis transition zones.