Characteristics of artificial plantation communities and soil properties along highway slopes of semi-arid regions

Temporal changes in plant communities and soil properties, one to two years after vegetation establishment along the Hu-Ji Highway slopes wereinvestigated to assess the process and mechanism of soil fertility and vegetation restoration. The results indicate plant communities and soil have gradual restored with time after artificial vegetation construction. Slit, clay, organic matter and total N contents increase, but pH decreases with the time. Soil recovery within 0～10cm depth is more significant than within 10～20cm depth. The vegetation is developing into complex communities with increases of herbaceous plants and plant coverage. However, the highway slope eco-system is still unstable because annual grass forms the majority of the community along the slopes.