We aimed to clarify the variation characteristics of soil water and the soil water deficit of artificial forestland in order to provide theoretical support for the selection of vegetation types and ecological restoration pattern. It was necessary to measure soil water in Northwestern Shanxi Loess hilly regions in Lan county. The moisture storage capacity and soil water deficit index of Cartagena korshinskii

Pinus tabuliformis and abandoned land in soil profiles of 0~600 cm depth were calculated to quantify soil water deficit during the rainy season and non-rainy season. The results showed that : ① The soil water changed with vegetation types

and even for the same vegetation type

the soil water was not consistent with other soil layers. The soil water content of 3 vegetation types showed first decreasing and then increasing trend with soil depth on the whole. Soil water profile contents of Cartagena korshinskii and Pinus tabuliformis showed a decreasing trend in the depth of 300 cm and 400 cm

respectively. In addition

the soil water content of abandoned land was higher than that of other artificial forestlands

and presented increasing type. ② The effective moisture storage capacity range showed the same trend for 3 vegetation types

with abandoned land＞Cartagena korshinskii＞ Pinus tabuliformis

and the deficit soil water storage presented Pinus tabuliformis＞Cartagena korshinskii＞abandoned land. ③ There was a significant deficit phenomenon of Cartagena korshinskii and Pinus tabuliformis. The plot compared soil water deficit index of Cartagena korshinskii land and Pinus tabuliformis land was 0.24

0.69

respectively. Nevertheless

the plot compared soil water deficit index of abandoned land was only -0.19. Therefore

the water deficiency of Pinus tabuliformis land was worse than that of other soil types as a whole.