Abstract: Caragana korshinskii Kom is an important shrub species widely used for vegetation rehabilitation in northern China. The controlled experiment was conducted to test the effects of sand-burying on the seed germination and seedling emergence and growth of Caragana korshinskii Kom in a typical arid desert region under nature conditions after the seeds mature. Six treatments of sand-burying of depths 1,2,3,4,5 and 6cm were designed and each treatment included five replicates. In the burial experiment,seedling emergence declined with sand burial depth:the optimal burial depth of Caragana korshinskii Kom is 1cm and the seedling emergence rate was 55%; at 4-6 cm,the seedling emergence rates were 4%-6%. The seedling emergence time increased with increasing sand-burying depth:at 1cm the seedling emergence time was 2 days;at 5-6 cm,the seedling emergence time were 29-30 days. The seedling survival rate increased with increasing sand-burying depth:at 1-4 cm the seedling survival rates were 50%-58%;at 6cm,the seedling survival rates reached 100%. Seedling sizes were noticeably affected by the depth of sand burial due to the emergence time. The deeper sand burial was the smaller seedling was. 1cm was the optimal depth for Caragana korshinskii Kom to emerge and 25% mature seeds can develop into seedlings in the first year. However,with increasing sand-burying depth a greater ratio of mature seeds supplied the soil seed bank. At 6 cm,96% mature seeds supplied soil seed bank. In a restoration context,suitable species that are vulnerable during emergence and establishment can be targeted,and plant species,seedling growth rate and sand burial depth are determinants of recruitment success for desert species.

Key words: mature seeds, Caragana korshinskii Kom, seedling regeneration, seedling death, soil seed bank