Low mountain scrub in the Helan Mountains plays an critical role in stabilizing of desert ecosystems in arid and semi-arid region. The interactions and stabilization mechanisms between shrubs and herbs have been one of the core issues in ecological research. Among these interactions, the mycorrhizal network composed of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is an important pathway and key factor in nutrient transfer and distribution among plants, influencing the efficient nutrient uptake by aboveground plants. In this study, the dominant scrub community in the low mountainous area of Helan Mountain, the P. mongolica- S. breviflora community, was used as the research object. Two control treatments, sterilized and unsterilized, were established. High-throughput sequencing technology was employed to investigate the mechanism of nutrient partitioning and regulation by AMF on the three vegetation types (shrubs, grasses, and scrub) , and to reveal α-diversity of soil AMF communities and their influencing factors. The results showed that the rhizosphere soil nutrient and plant nutrient contents decreased to different degrees under sterilization compared with the unsterilized treatment. The P. mongolica-S. breviflora community was able to transfer and allocate nutrients by AMF. Nutrient accumulation, rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties, and α-diversity of the AMF community were higher in the P. mongolica-S. breviflora community than in Stipa breviflora and Prunus mongolica single vegetation, which aligns with the ”mutualism” effect of shrubs and grasses. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that the diversity of the AMF community was positively correlated with soil water and nutrient content, which were the main driving factors affecting plant growth and development. High-throughput sequencing revealed that Glomus is the dominant genus in the Prunus mongolica scru b, with an average proportion of 99%. AMF community diversity was significantly correlated with soil organic matter, water content, available nitrogen (AN), total phosphorus (TP), available calcium (AK), and available phosphorus (AP). The structure of the AMF community significantly increased the soil AN, TP, AK, and AP contents. The AMF community structure and α-diversity of rhizosphere soils were also affected by rhizosphere soil nutrients and biological factors, with organic matter and nitrogen being the primary factors, followed by water, phosphorus, and available potassium.This study aims to provide theoretical references for the conservation and stabilization of ecosystem functions and vegetation restoration in the arid and semi-arid areas of the Helan Mountains.