Abstract:The characteristics of Ca、Mg、Fe、Mn、Zn and Cu concentrations in the rhizosphere and the rhizosphere\|surrounded bulk soil of the 7 desert shrubs (i.e. Zygophyllum xanthoxylum, Nitraria tangutorum, Reaumuria soongorica, Ammopiptanthus mongolicu, Atraphaxia bracteata, Haloxylon ammodendron, Ceratoides lateens) in Alxa were investigated. The results revealed as follows. (1) Although pH value in the Haloxylon ammodendron rhizosphere was higher than that of the bulk soil, the other six shrubs showed varying degrees of acidification in the rhizosphere soil. (2) Contents of the total Ca and exchangeable Ca in the rhizosphere of all the seven shrubs were lower than those of the bulk soils. The total Mg content was higher in the rhizosphere than in the bulk soil for all shrubs except Atraphaxia bracteata and Ceratoides lateens, and the highest enrichment rate occurred in Nitraria tangutorum (43.1%).The exchangeable Mg content was significantly accumulated in the rhizosphere except for Atraphaxia bracteata, with Haloxylon ammodendron having the highest enrichment rate of 26.5%. (3) Overall, the contents of total Fe、Mn and Zn in the rhizosphere were lower than those of the bulk soil, but there was a significant rhizosphere effect on the contents of available Fe、Mn and Zn whose enrichment rates in the rhizosphere of Atraphaxia bracteata were 29.8%、20.9% and 86.9%, respectively. (4) Contents of the total Cu and available Cu in the Atraphaxia bracteata rhizosphere were slightly higher than in the bulk soil. The content of total Cu in the Haloxylon ammodendron rhizosphere decreased, but the content of available Cu in its rhizosphere increased. Contents of the total Cu and available Cu in the rhizosphere for the other shrubs were lower than those in the bulk soil. (5)There was a complicated correlation between soil nutrients in the rhizosphere and the bulk soil.