Effects of Returning Farmland to Forest and Grassland on Deep Soil Moisture Dynamics in Loess Hilly Region

Background: The vegetation covering of the Loess Plateau (LP) expanded significantly, when implemented the returning cultivated land to forest and grassland. It is of great significance for the sustainability of vegetation restoration in semi-arid regions to accurately understand the effects of vegeta-tion on deep soil moisture; Methods The deep-water consumption (200–1000 cm) of sloping farmland, grassland and Jujube orchards a minor loess hilly region basin in Yuanzegou were studied using outdoor surveys and indoor tests; Results From 200 cm to 1000 cm, the soil water storage ranged in the order of sloping farmland > grassland > Jujube orchard, with mean values of 148.78 mm, 145.28 mm and 121.11 mm, respectively. Sloped farms and grassland had significantly higher soil water storage than Jujube orchard (p < 0.05). In the 200–1000 cm soil layer, the water consumption of the Jujube orchard ranged from 21.67 mm to 32.97 mm, and that of grassland ranged from − 4.47 mm to 10.32 mm. The deep soil water consumption of Jujube orchard significantly exceeded that of grassland (p < 0.05); Conclusions Returning farmland to forest and grass reduced soil moisture content, especially when using forest-type vegetation.