The Alxa desert is located in the tail and interaction area of the westerly,plateau monsoon and East Asian summer monsoon. It is not only a sensitive area of climate change in China,but also the main sandstorm source region and migration channel in China. By summarizing and analyzing the research results of dendrochronology in the Alxa desert and its surrounding areas,this paper reviewed the main climatic limiting factors for radial growth on the day-season-year scale of desert riparian forests,lakeshore forests,desert shrubs and surrounding mountainous coniferous forests and characteristics of climate change recorded by the tree rings over the hundreds of years and its driving mechanisms. In the future,the study of dendrochronology in the region should pay more attention to predict the future climate development trends and expand more tree species and tree-ring indicators. The study of the tree and shrub rings in the desert area,the study of tree rings around the desert and the process of desert evolution should be organically combined,which may provide scientific basis for more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the driving mechanism of desertification and decision-making in Alxa Desert.