Changes in soil properties caused by artificial vegetation planting is of great interest to both scientists and policy-makers. However, a quantitative understanding of the effects of Caragana planting on soil erodibility is not available. This study selected five Caragana plantations aged 0 (control), 9, 21, 33 and 46 years to assess the erosion resistance of Caragana soils using spatio–temporal substitution method in Zhi Fanggou small watershed on the hilly Loess Plateau. Findings showed that Caragana planting significantly reduced soil loss compared with the control. Sediment loss over time was well described by a negative exponential function. On average, about 80% of the soil sediment was lost within the first 3 abrasion minutes. Compared with control, soil bulk density of surface (0–20cm) and middle soil layers (20–40cm) decreased by 8.9% and 18.0%, respectively, but minimal changes occurred in the lower soils (40–60cm). Soil aggregate content and shear strength increased significantly, whereas soil ...