Although projects undertaken to return farmlands to forests and grasslands has achieved remarkable results, it has aggravated the soil water deficit, soil desiccation intensity, and has also restricted the vegetation restoration. Five different vegetation types (Armeniaca sibirica, Pinus tabuliformis, Robinia pseudoacacia, Populus simonii, Hippophae rhamnoides) and a grassland were selected to analyze the soil moisture and soil desiccation in 0-10 m soil profile. The results showed that the moisture differed significantly in the shallow soil, as well as deep soil between the vegetation types. Compared with the grassland, soil moisture was excessively consumed in all vegetation types, the Robinia pseudoacacia forest consuming the most, and the Armeniaca sibirica forest consuming the least. Soil desiccation appeared in all vegetations types, and the desiccated soil layer of Robinia pseudoacacia forest, Populus simonii forest, and Armeniaca sibirica forest had reached below 10 m, implying that the vegetation is the primary factor influencing the deep soil moisture. The average soil desiccation index of the five vegetation types was 39.26%, which is much higher than that of the grassland (-9.57%). The order of soil desiccation intensity was as follows:Populus simonii (80.19%) > Robinia pseudoacacia (78.03%) > Hippophae rhamnoides (55.38%) > Armeniaca sibirica(37.94%) > Pinus tabuliformis (32.34%). This result can be attributed to the comprehensive effect of tree species, tree size and density, stand biomass, tree age, etc. In the future, for restoration of vegetation, we should pay attention to the rational selection of water-saving tree species combined with a design for stand structure according to the local soil water conditions, so as to avoid or reduce soil desiccation and maintain high vegetation stability.