The litter layer and soil layer are the main contributing layers to the forest eco-hydrological effects, significantly influencing the water and soil conservation functions and water storage capacity of forest ecosystems. This study compares the variations and water conservation capacities of litter and soil layers among three typical forest stand types in the Luoshan Nature Reserve, Ningxia, China, providing a scientific basis for forest eco-hydrology, soil and water conservation, and forest management in the region. The study focuses on pure forests of Qinghai spruce, pure forests of Chinese pine, and the mixed forests of Qinghai spruce and Chinese pine. Measurement, laboratory soaking, ring knife method, and regression analysis are employed to determine and model the hydrological effects of litter and soil layers. The entropy weight method is used to assess their water storage capacities. The results indicate that:(1) the total thickness and total storage of litter in the mixed forest of Qinghai spruce and Chinese pine are significantly higher than those in the pure forests of Qinghai spruce and Chinese pine (P<0.05), and the thickness and storage of the semi-decomposed layer are higher than those of the undecomposed layer in all three forest stand types. (2) the maximum water-holding capacity of the litter layer ranges from 63.29 to 95.08t/hm², with a maximum water-holding rate ranging from 335.97% to 353.85%, and the effective water retention ranges from 34.09 to 63.92t/hm². In all three forest stand types, these values follow the order of mixed forest of Qinghai spruce and Chinese pine>pure Qinghai spruce forest>pure Chinese pine forest. (3) the litter water-holding capacity (Q) of the three forest stand types exhibits a logarithmic function relationship with soaking time (t), while the water absorption rate (V) shows a power function relationship with soaking time (t). (4) the ranking of hydrological effects of soil layers among the three forest types, based on their physical properties and water holding characteristics, is spruce and pine mixed forest>pure pine forest>pure spruce forest. The water conservation capacities of the litter layer and soil layer are in the order of spruce and pine mixed forest (0.43)>pine forest (0.3)>spruce forest (0.27). Overall, the water conservation capacity of the litter layer and soil layer is the best in the spruce and pine mixed forest, followed by the pure forests, indicating that the mixed forests have greater advantages in soil and water conservation than pure forests.