The researchers studied the soil seed bank in the lower Tarim River area to understand how vegetation can be restored. They found that the seed bank changes throughout the year, with more seeds in August than in March. The seeds of certain plants, like Populus euphratica and Tamarix, are more abundant in August. As the land degrades, the seed bank decreases. Activating the seed bank could help restore vegetation, as it contains more seeds than the existing plants. The best time for water transfer to aid in vegetation restoration is from August to November.