# Vegetation Dynamics and Recovery Potential in Arid and Semi-Arid Northwest China
[PERSON] [16] examined the maximum moisture-bearing capacity of vegetation in the soil. [PERSON] [17] used Loess Plateau of China as a case study to propose an ecological function-oriented vegetation protection and restoration framework based on PNV patterns and ecological functions. [PERSON] [18] formulates a composite index (E-j) based on comparing the trends of vegetation cover and vegetation productivity to assess ecological restoration effectiveness. [PERSON] [19] calculated the restoration potential by borrowing the ecological moisture carrying capacity method, defined this potential as the restoration potential of vegetation cover in similar habitats, and evaluated the effects of forestry engineering measures through the division of similar habitats. [PERSON] [20] utilized the spatial sliding window technique to refine the model. [PERSON] [4] introduced a model for assessing vegetation restoration potential at large spatial scales. They computed a vegetation restoration potential index and analyzed the optimal growth conditions achievable by vegetation once anthropogenic interference was removed. This analysis can serve as a scientific foundation for identifying key regions for restoring desertified grasslands in Mongolia and planning restoration initiatives. [PERSON] [21] concluded that the ecological environment in northwest China was susceptible and vulnerable to climate change, emphasizing that vegetation restoration can ameliorate the local ecological milieu. [PERSON] [22] show that the annual occurrence frequency and annual days showed an upward trend before the 1980s and a significant downward trend after that, as well as significant turnarounds in the annual number of dust processes that occurred in the 1990s and around 2010, which revealed that vegetation cover effectively mitigates land desertification and the occurrence and impact of large-scale sandstorms. It is noteworthy that current studies often focus on individual factors, like vegetation or climate change [23; 24], failing to provide a comprehensive assessment of climate change. Despite research efforts spanning field investigations, climate ecological model simulations, remote sensing monitoring, and various other approaches, significant uncertainties persist in the findings of vegetation restoration potential research [20; 21; 25]. [PERSON] et al. [26] analyzed the process of vegetation restoration in the eastern margin ecotone of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (EMEQTP) from 2001 to 2019 and showed that the NPP under a natural restoration mode had the highest increase, at 20.1%, and its spatial change showed an overall trend of restoration. [PERSON] [27] showed that the average vegetation restoration potential in the study area was 0.837. [PERSON] [14] established a vegetation response curve to analyze the future recovery trend of vegetation. [PERSON] [5] employed a similar habitat method to project vegetation recovery potential in the Beiluo River basin. [PERSON] [28] reported that the forest, grassland, and desert ecosystems within the Three North Project region still possess a restoration capacity of 8.16%. The mechanism used to calculate vegetation recovery potential in this study is based on the \"similar habitat method\". In ecology, areas with potential for vegetation growth are often categorized based on similar habitats, meaning that locations with comparable natural conditions exhibit analogous landscapes. For instance, in regions with identical terrain, climate, soil, and hydrological factors, one would expect vegetation coverage to be similar as well. Any variations in these areas highlight the potential for additional growth. We refer to this potential as the vegetation recovery potential associated with similar habitats. Variations in vegetation recovery potential lead to differing levels of difficulty in vegetation restoration efforts; a higher recovery potential indicates an easier path to restoring vegetation, while a lower potential suggests more challenges [8].