Supported by the national key research and development program of China, entitled "Research and development of comprehensive rehabilitation measures for land rocky desertification in karst trough valley area (2016YFC0502300)", some important progress has been made in ecological degradation and restoration in karst trough valley area after three years' joint efforts of all members of the project team. The most important progress includes:(1) From 2000 to 2015, the total amount of soil erosion and the annual average erosion modulus decreased year by year, meanwhile the vegetation coverage increased significantly in the trough valley area; (2) Root and root-soil matrix of Dolichos lablab L. hedgerows can not only effectively improve the particle size of karst soil, soil anti-scourability and soil shear strength, but also Dolichos lablab L. can use the atmospheric N₂ to synthesize nitrogen fertilizer for plant growth and then improve soil fertility, which is expected to achieve a win-win situation of ecological and economic effects during the rocky desertification rehabilitation; (3) Tunnels excavation in karst trough valley area altered the natural hydrogeological flow system and lowered groundwater level, and consequently reduced the relative abundance and diversity of soil microbial species, but increased the microbial population adapted to drought, leading to the decrease of soil quality. Tunnel construction also accelerated slope runoff and soil erosion, leading to aggravate land rocky desertification, and consequently led to ecological degradation in karst trough valley area; (4) With the restoration of degraded karst ecosystem, the ecological service functions of karst ecosystem have been improved in karst trough valley area.