Two dominate species in the desert steppe with anthropogenic introduced shrub (Caragana Korshinskii) in the eastern of Ningxia area, China, Agropyron mongolicum and Caragana korshinskii were selected to investigate the seed germination characteristics in soil drought gradients simulated by using different concentrations of PEG-6000, and to analyse the plant recruitment dynamics of the disturbed grassland under global precipitation pattern changed. The results showed that the averagely initial germination time of Caragana Korshinskii were earlier 14 h than that of Agropyron mongolicum and the water uptake of Caragana Korshinskii was lower than that of Agropyron mongolicum, which were 201.21% and 293.43%, respectively. The germination rates and speeds of them increased firstly and decreased gradually as the osmotic potential increased. The germination rates were the highest at -0.02 MPa, which were 28.67% and 44.67%, respectively, and the lowest were at -1.2 MPa, which were 6.67% and 1.33%. The highest germination speeds of Caragana korshinskii and Agropyron mongolicum were both at -0.02 MPa, which were 12.84%, 9.52%. The initial germination days of Caragana korshinskii were earlier 1-4 d than that of Agropyron mongolicum. The germination potential threshold range of Caragana korshinskii was from -0.3 to -0.86 MPa, while that of Agropyron mongolicum was from -0.3 to -0.65 MPa. Our results supported that Caragana korshinskii had more germination potentials than Agropyron mongolicum under soil drought acceleration resulted from the shrubs introduction into the desert steppe and climate changed. The study aimed to predict the plant recruitment dynamics of the desert grassland with anthropogenic shrub encroachment, providing the theoretical basis and reference for sustainability of desert steppe vegetation restoration.