A dry soil layer is defined as any layer within the soil profile that maintains a persistent low water content, which generally results from negative evapo transpiration equilibrium. Nearly all soils under perennial leguminous crops and re vegetated forests on Loess Plateau contain dry soil layers, which constitutes a serious obstacle to the sustainable land use of Loess Plateau of China. The formation, properties and distribution of dry soil layers in the Loess Plateau has been extensively studied, but ...