Based on observation of soil moisture in deep soil layers in Elaeagnus angustifolia, Caragana korshinskii, Citrullus lanatus, Lycium chinense and grassland on the gravelsand mulched field in the arid zone of central Ningxia, we calculated, analyzed and compared soil moisture content, soil water overuse rate, soil desiccation indexes and thickness of desiccated soil layer in different vegetation zones, to provide the theory basis for improving the utilization on the gravelsand mulched field in the arid zone of central Ningxia. Results show as follows: (1) mean soil moisture content, water storage and available soil water storage were 7.163%, 591.978 mm and 187.088 mm of different vegetation zones on the gravelsand mulched field. The average soil water overuse rate was 274.942 mm. (2) The soil moisture of different vegetation types show the overall trend was reduced，then increased from the depth of the surface to 600 cm. In addition to watermelon，the water moisture content of other vegetation was significantly lower than soil stable moisture. (3) The soil desiccation index of different vegetation zones was in the range of 2.152%~85.026%,and mean soil desiccation index was 37.674%, falling into the category of severely desiccated. The C. korshinskii and E. angustifolia land were extreme desiccated. The average thickness of the desiccated soil layer in different vegetation zones was 500 cm. The order of soil moisture content is: C. korshinskii land> E. angustifolia land>L. chinense land> grassland >C. lanatus land. (4) The canonical correlation analysis showed that environmental factors such as latitude, longitude, elevation,vegetation type, silt content and sand content were significantly factors affecting soil desiccated index and soil water content in the inner of dried soil layer.