Abstract: The study area, Aral Reclamation Area, is located in the northern marginal zone of the Tarim Bain, Xinjiang, China. In this paper, the variation of fractal dimension of soil particle size distribution (PSD) was researched, and the relationships between the fractal dimension of soil particles and the volume percentage of PSD and its affecting factors were analyzed using the singlefractal calculation method and the PSD data obtained with laser diffraction technique at different soil depths under different land use types. The study results will help us to characterize the change of soil physical environment in the transform of different land use types in oasis development, and even provide the suggestions for the rational utilization of different soils. The study results revealed that the soil in the Aral Reclamation Area was dominated by sandy loam, and the soil fractal dimension value varied in a range of 1.883-2.405. There was a significant negative correlation between the soil fractal dimension value and the volume percentage of soil particles within 0.05-0.25 mm and 0.25-1 mm, but a significant positive one between the soil fractal dimension value and the volume percentage of soil particles < 0.05 mm. The grain size of 0.05 mm was the critical value for deciding the relationship between the soil particle fractal dimension and the volume percentage of soil PSD. The grain size of soil particles was mainly in a range of 0.01-0.05 mm in hinterland of the oasis, but a range of 0.05-0.25 mm in the marginal zone of the desert. The volume percentage of fine soil particles was increased, that of coarse ones was decreased, and the fractal dimension of soil particles was in a gradual increase trend.

Key words: oasis development, soil particle size distribution, fractal dimension, land use, Aral Reclamation Area, Xinjiang