[Objective] Ecological effects of different measures of revegetation and sand fixation on soil-vegetation system were evaluated to provide some theoretical bases for sand fixation and desertification control, grassland management and utilization.[Methods] In desert land of Yanchi County in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, a naturally restored grassland and a manually afforested shrub land were selected as sampling sites, the adjacent shifting sand land was taken as control for comparison. Soil properties and vegetation characteristics were sampled and measured.[Results] (1) In addition to herbaceous plant richness, density and height(p<0.05), soil clay plus silt content, soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content(p<0.001) were markedly increased by the both measures. Whereas soil temperature, bulk density and soil moisture decreased(p<0.05).(2) Soil clay plus silt content, herbaceous richness and density in naturally restored grassland were 2.1, 2.8, 1.4 times greater than those of manually afforested shrub land, respectively. The decreasing rate of soil moisture in naturally restored grassland was 1.7 times more than that of manually afforested shrub land. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content, and herbaceous height in manually afforested shrub land were 2.1, 2.0 and 2.2 times greater than those in naturally restored grassland, respectively. The decreasing magnitude of soil bulk density in manually afforested shrub land was 2.5 times more than that in naturally restored grassland.(3) Along with the succession and stabilization of shifting sand land, some annual herbaceous plants were gradually replaced by perennial plants. Herbaceous individual numbers and species richness of both annual and perennial plants were remarkably high in naturally restored grassland in comparison with the corresponding values of manually afforested shrub land.[Conclusion] Naturally restored management overmatched manually afforested management on the stability recovery of vegetation-soil system. The manually afforested management could be considered as an important supplementary way with efficient fertility improvement in desert ecosystems of Yanchi County in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.