The researchers studied how natural vegetation changes after farmers stop growing crops on the Loess Plateau in China. They looked at different types of plants and soil data in areas where forests grew for up to 60 years after farming stopped. They found five main types of plants, like Artemisia and Quercus, that grow in these areas. The number of years since farming stopped and the amount of carbon and nitrogen in the soil are important factors that determine what plants grow there. The soil quality generally improves as the plants change, but the amount of water in the soil decreases over time. This information can help people manage the land better after farming stops in similar areas.