The belowground bud bank plays an important role in vegetation restoration of sand dune ecosystems in semi-arid regions. However, few studies have focused on the temporal–spatial changes of belowground bud banks in interdune lowlands.

The size and composition of belowground bud bank in five interdune lowlands with different sizes were investigated for one growing season to determine the temporal and spatial changes in belowground bud bank.

Total bud bank density was the highest in the medium-sized interdune lowland as was tiller bud density. The density of stem-base buds exhibited an opposite trend while rhizome bud density did not change with interdune lowland size. There was a significant seasonal change in the bud bank size. The total bud density peaked in August and was the lowest in October. A similar trend was found for rhizome bud density, whereas the density of stem-base buds showed an opposite trend, and tiller bud density did not change significantly during the growing season. We conclude that the belowground bud bank density is changed with interdune lowland size and season. These results contribute to the understanding of adaptive strategies of plants growing in active dune ecosystems and provide pointers for adopting effective measures to restore and conserve dune vegetation in semi-arid regions.