[Objective] The research aimed to carry out the study on dust retention of typical shrublands in desert-oasis ecotone, so as to provide a basis for the evaluation of dust retention benefits of regional windbreak and sand-fixing tree species and the construction of oasis protection system. [Method] Through field investigation and sampling, indoor washing filtration and other methods, the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of dust retention amount and particle size of three plants ( Holoxylonam modendron, Tamarix chinensis and Nitraria sphaerocarpa ) in the desert-oasis transition zone along the 4 km range from desert to oasis were quantitatively analyzed in early March ( winter state ) and late June ( summer state ). [Result] The amount of dust retention gradually decreased from desert to oasis. In early March, the average decrease of Haloxylon ammodendron, Tamarix chinensis and Nitraria tangutorum was 20.74 %, 16.13 % and 14.72 %, respectively. In late June, the average decrease was 14.37 %, 9.23 % and 26.54 %. In early March, Haloxylon ammodendron had the largest amount of dust retention, about 172.36 g · plant-1. In late June, Tamarix chinensis had the largest amount of dust retention, about 345.16 g · plant-1. In the first ten days of March, the dust particle size of the three shrubs was mainly 20 ~ 50 μm, accounting for about 41 %, and the particle size of Haloxylon ammodendron with a small amount of dust was 500 ~ 1000 μm, accounting for about 15 % of the total. In late June, the particle size of the dust is distributed in 100 ~ 200μm, and a small amount is distributed in 5 ~ 10μm. [Conclusion] The dust retention capacity of shrub plants was affected by time, space and leaf surface characteristics. Haloxylon ammodendron had the strongest dust retention capacity in early March, and Tamarix chinensis had the strongest dust retention capacity in late June. The research results have important scientific significance in the study of spatial distribution characteristics of dust retention and ' windbreak, sand resistance and dust control ' of plants in desert areas.