[Objective] The most suitable row-band configuration pattern was determined for vegetation restoration and soil development between protection forest strips in the Populus simonii shelterbelt located in the Naiman sand region of the Horqin sandy land area to provide a scientific basis for artificial afforestation in this area. [Methods] Plant community diversity, soil physicochemical properties, and their correlation for four types of Populus simonii shelterbelts with different band spacings were studied. [Results] The size of the band spacing had a significant impact on the vegetation and soil restoration between Populus simonii shelterbelts, and vegetation restoration and soil restoration were complementary. ① Species diversity and community stability in the natural state showed some decrease by the distance between bands from 10 m, 6 m, 4 m, to 2 m; ② Soil water content and soil nutrient contents (organic matter, alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen, fast-acting phosphorus, and fast-acting potassium) presented the same downward trend from 10 m, 6 m, 4 m, to 2 m, but the soil bulk density showed an upward trend from 10 m, 6 m, 4 m, to 2 m; ③ In the 0-60 cm soil layer, species diversity indices and soil physicochemical properties showed significant or highly significant correlations (p＜0.05) between the different band spacings of Populus simonii, among which the most significant correlation with each species diversity index was the soil bulk density, and the most significant correlation with each soil physicochemical property was the Margalef richness index. [Conclusion] For the artificial afforestation process of Populus simonii in the Naiman sand region of the Horqin sandy land area, an appropriate increase in the spacing between row-banded small-leaved poplar plantations can effectively improve the production level and ecological benefits of the forest land, and a spacing of 10 m is appropriate.