Wind erosion is the dominant factor of root exposure of sand-fixing plants.Eight years old plants of Caragana korshinskii and Calligonum mongolicum from Baijitan Nature Reserve of Ningxia were used as the experimental materials in this study. The taproots were exposed by three depths of 10 cm, 20 cm, and 30 cm, and their physiological processes and adaptation mechanisms were analyzed. The results showed that: (1) there was not any significant difference between the physiological parameters of Caragana korshinskii and those of the control within 21 days after the taproot was exposed by 10 cm. Caragana korshinskii showed significant differences in malondialdehyde content, Pro content, chlorophyll content, Chl (a/b), and catalase on the 7th day with the taproot being exposed by 30 cm compared to the control. These physiological parameters returned to the control level on the 21st day. Both soluble sugar and superoxide dismutase values were not significantly different compared to the control from the beginning to the end. Therefore, 10 cm exposure of the taproot did not cause stress to Caragana korshinskii. Within seven days after the exposure by a depth of 30 cm, H₂O₂ was removed by activating an osmotic adjustment system mainly driven by free proline and enhancing CAT activity, so that the plant gradually returned to a physiologically stable state. (2) Calligonum mongolicum regulated the physiological homeostasis by an accumulation of soluble sugars and an increase of Chl (a / b) on the 7th day after the taproot being exposed by 10 cm. The SOD, CAT, and chlorophyll contents were significantly lower than those of the control (P<0.05) on both 14th and 21st days with the taproot being exposed by a depth of 20 cm and 30 cm, that is, the antioxidant enzyme system began to be in a state of disorder and the photosynthesis decreased. In summary, the exposure of the taproot by the depth of 30 cm affected the physiology of Caragana korshinskii at the flowering stage only at the beginning of the treatment. In contrast, Calligonum mongolicum at the leaf expansion stage showed a response of moderate to severe drought stress with taproot exposure of more than 20 cm.