The effect of vegetation types and microsites on soil seed bank characteristics in the desert‐loess transition zone of China

Introduction The desert‐loess transition zone has a fragile ecosystem due to the arid climate and intense soil erosion. Large‐scale vegetation restoration projects have been carried out in this area to control soil erosion and improve the ecosystem. The soil seed bank (SSB) is a direct source for natural recovery and succession of plant communities. Objectives We investigated how vegetation structural complexity and microsite heterogeneity drive the spatial distribution of the SSB and its role in vegetation restoration in the fragile ecosystems. Methods We analyzed the SSB and soil properties across loess and sandy habitats, comparing three vegetation types (artificial arbor, artificial shrub, and natural shrub‐grassland) and two microsites (vegetation patches vs. interpatches). Results Vegetation types and microsites jointly regulate the SSB characteristics. Vegetation patches in artificial forests significantly enhanced the SSB richness and density by stabilizing microenvironments. NMDS (Non‐metric Multidimensional Scaling) ordination revealed distinct separation of the SSB species composition by soil type and microsite, with afforestation driving structural reorganization of the community. Vegetation patches exhibited higher seed bank‐vegetation similarity, playing a critical role for spontaneous restoration in degraded transition zones. Conclusions The SSB characteristics are jointly regulated by soil substrate, vegetation types, and microsite heterogeneity. Artificial forests significantly enhance the enrichment and persistence of species within the SSB. Vegetation patches act as vital recruitment foci across all sites by stabilizing microenvironments. These findings indicate that restoration success depends on the synergistic interaction between macro‐habitat stabilization and micro‐niche provision.