Soil evaporation in the Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt was studied using micro-lysimeters. The researchers measured soil evaporation at different distances from trees irrigated with saline water. They found that soil evaporation varied over time and space, with the highest rates near the trees. Soil evaporation decreased as soil moisture content decreased. The estimated annual total soil evaporation in the shelterbelt was around 2.63 million cubic meters, accounting for 21.43% of total irrigation volume. Most of the soil evaporation occurred during the growing season. To improve water use efficiency, measures to reduce soil evaporation may be needed.