Abstract:The stability of artificial sandfixing vegetation community is an important criterion to evaluate the success of vegetation restoration in arid and semiarid sandy areas. In this paper, we used the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation theory to evaluate the stability of seven dominant plants of artificial sand fixation at the slope scale (upslope, midslope and downslope) in the windsand area of northwestern Shanxi Province. The growth status of dominant plants, soil quality, biomass and diversity of understory plants and Godron index were selected to evaluate the stability of plants by calculating the average membership degree. The results showed that: (1) the biomass of branches and leaves of Pinus tabuliformis in trees was the largest (1 457.1 g), the biomass of branches and leaves of Caragana korshinskii in shrubs was the largest (1 429.1 g), and the biomass of branches and leaves of dominant plants was the largest under slope. (2) The soil moisture of shrub surface layer (0-20 cm) was better than that of tree surface layer, and different plant forests showed the largest soil moisture under slope. The soil organic matter, alkalihydrolyzable nitrogen, available potassium and available phosphorus in the surface soil of each plant were much higher than those in the abandoned land. The soil nutrient indexes of P. tabuliformis and C. korshinskii were significantly higher than those of other plants, and the nutrients under different plants were also the best in the slope. (3) The biomass of understory plants: Populus cathayana tree was the largest (87.2 g), C. korshinskii shrub was the largest (50.4 g), and the biomass of slope was the largest. The richness index of understory plants in tree was the highest in P. cathayana, the diversity index and evenness index of understory plants in tree were the highest in Pinus sylvestris and P. tabuliformis, and the diversity index of understory plants in shrubs was basically similar. (4) Godron index: the intersection coordinates of Robinia pseudoacacia in trees were closest to the community stability point, and the intersection coordinates of C. korshinskii in shrubs were closest to the community stability point. Based on the average membership of each index, the order of tree stability index was as follows: P. tabuliformis (0.69) > R. pseudoacacia (0.67) > P. cathayana (0.66) > P. sylvestris (0.39) > Salix matsudana (0.28). The order of shrub stability was as follows: Caragana microphylla (0.82) > Amorpha fruticosa (0.64). The stability of trees and shrubs was much higher than that of abandoned land (0.20). As a whole, P. tabuliformis tree and C. korshinskii shrub have the highest stability, which are suitable for afforestation. Downhill is a better choice of slope position. This study can provide a basis for the restoration and scientific management of artificial sandfixing vegetation in the windsand area of northwestern Shanxi and the Loess Plateau.