In order to explore and use high mineralization degree ground water in Taklimakan Desert for the instruction of the shelter forest along Tarim desert highway

in 2003 we had done some experiments on drop irrigation with high degree mineralization salt water about 28 g/L in Xiaotang in the north fringe of Taklimakan desert. According to the depth of covering sand layer in the upper desert forest soil in inter-dune area and the slope orientation of shifting sandy soil on sand dunes

nine sites were chosen for experiment. Such five kinds of seedlings as Haloxylon ammodendron

Tamarix hispida

Halostashys caspica were planted in every site. We noted the total amount of survival seedlings in each site from May to August by the cycle of 10 days and measured the seedling growth from July to October by the cycle of 10 days. The results is as follow: (1)The effect of different sites on the seedling growth primarily results from sites' different distribution to soil humidity and ground solar radiation; (2)The seedlings' adaptation to irrigation with high degree of mineralization salt water about 28 g/L vary among different plants and between shifting sandy soil and desert forest soil; (3) The limit factor to seedling growth isn't the same at the different stage of plant growth: at the early (survival ) stage

soil humidity is the limit factor

but at the growth stage

if soil humidity is enough ground solar radiation becomes the limit factor.