Introduction Understanding the response mechanisms of vegetation characteristics and soil enzyme activities to climatic factors in desertified regions is crucial. However, the relationships between vegetation, soil enzyme activities, and climatic factors in dune ecosystems under different anthropogenic disturbances remain unclear.Methods This study, based on in situ observations conducted from 2020 to 2023 in the Horqin Sand Land, systematically elucidates the response mechanisms of vegetation characteristics and soil enzyme activities to precipitation and temperature across different types of sand dunes under enclosure (control), mowing, burning, and grazing treatments.Results The results indicate that the effects of mowing and burning on vegetation and soil enzyme activities are strongly water-dependent. In sand dunes located in the moisture-rich dune-meadow ecotone, these treatments exhibited compensatory effects, whereas in moisture-limited semi-mobile dunes, they led to inhibitory effects. Grazing, on the other hand, significantly reduced dune vegetation biomass and soil enzyme activities by 9-45%, but markedly increased plant species richness. Correlation analysis revealed that, following mowing and burning, Poaceae species in ecotone dunes were able to rapidly utilize precipitation, exhibiting high sensitivity to rainfall. In semi-mobile dunes where shrubs and herbaceous plants coexist, species with different life forms enhanced their relationships with precipitation through stratified water use. In contrast, grazing damaged vegetation via herbivory and trampling, overall weakening the response of vegetation to both temperature and precipitation. Structural equation modeling revealed that in ecotone dunes, precipitation significantly promoted sucrose enzyme activity only under burning and grazing treatments. In fixed dunes, however, due to the low palatability of Asteraceae species, livestock trampling facilitated litter decomposition and increased fecal inputs, thereby enhancing nutrient availability, and precipitation significantly promoted vegetation growth.Discussion Overall, different disturbances modulated the responses of vegetation and soil enzyme activities to climatic factors by regulating soil hydrothermal conditions and resource use efficiency, highlighting the critical role of water availability in controlling ecological processes in desertified regions. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the conservation and restoration of sandy ecosystems.