Abstract: We used highthroughput sequencing technology to assess the effects of multi-year aerial seeding (0, 6, 16, 26, and 36 years) on soil fungi community structure and diversity in the Mu Us Sandy Land, and examined the effects of soil factors on soil fungi community structure. The results showed that soil fungi community structure changed with aerial seeding duration. Except for the Simpson diversity index, fungi alpha diversity index, the number of phylum and genus,and the abundance of unique OTUs showed an initial decrease followed by an increasing trend. Principal coordinates analysis showed variations in soil fungi community composition at different aerial seeding years, with increasing differences along with the extension of aerial seeding duration. Results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that nitrate and available phosphorus concentrations were the main soil factors affecting the distribution of soil fungi. We conclude that aerial seeding afforestation improves soil fungi community structure and diversity by enhancing theemergence of dominant fungi groups in the Mu Us Sandy Land. Overall, our results provide support for the beneficial role of aerial seeding afforestation in vegetation restoration in the Mu Us Sandy Land.

Key words: sandy land, aerial seeding years, high-throughput sequencing, soil fungi diversity.