[Objective] The current research status and development trends in the field of plant diversity in desertified areas were analyzed, and the evolution of research hotspots and future directions were clarified, in order to provide a theoretical basis for understanding ecosystem responses, guiding ecological restoration, and informing global desertification control. [Methods] Using CiteSpace 6.4 R1, a multi-dimensional analysis is conducted on literature from CNKI(1961—2024, 1 397 articles) and Web of Science(1999—2024, 2 899 articles) databases. [Results] ① Research on plant diversity in desertified areas showed phased growth. The average annual growth rate of Chinese literature was 8.7%, with core journals represented by the Journal of Ecology, while English literature is widely distributed in interdisciplinary journals such as Frontiers in Microbiology.② Cross-regional research networks were formed by institutions including the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the University of California System. Chinese scholars focued on desert ecosystem structure and functional responses, while international research emphasized microbial interactions and genetic diversity.③ Keyword evolution showed that research hotspots had shifted from drought physiology(before 2000) to water-community coupling mechanisms(2000—2010), and had expanded to ecological resilience assessment and the integration of multi-omics technologies since 2020.④ The analysis of emergent words revealed that Chinese literature focused on the dynamic regulation of environmental factors, while English literature concentrated on the ecological stoichiometry of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as abiotic stress mechanisms. [Conclusion] This study provides a direct species resource base, mechanistic knowledge, and technical support for global desertification control. Future research should integrate multi-scale data models and cross-border monitoring networks to deepen the understanding of ‘plant-microbe-environment' interactions, thereby providing more accurate support for ecological barrier construction and the restoration of degraded ecosystems.