Review of research on soil desiccation in the Loess Plateau

In this paper, the researches on soil desiccation were reviewed, including its distribution and variable characteristics, the types of dried soil layer, the causes of formation, its harms on eco-environment, measured indexes and countermeasures against it. Simultaneously, the problems were stated and the prospective tasks of this field were proposed. The mechanisms of soil desiccation formation and the suitable measured indexes for soil desiccation were put forward. And this would be very crucial to the eco-environment construction and restoration in the Loess Plateau.