The study looked at how soil moisture changes under desert shrubs in northwest China. They found that the soil under the shrubs is wetter than surrounding areas, especially in the dry summer months. The soil moisture varies the most in the soil layer where the shrub roots are located. After snow melts in March and April, the soil is the wettest, which is also when ephemeral plants grow. The shrubs help enrich the soil with water through stem flow and by absorbing water well.