Precipitation changes caused by anthropogenic activities could substantially influence aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) in semiarid ecosystems. However, it remains unclear how the mechanism of precipitation variability affects ANPP in different dry and wet years.We report a manipulated field experiment, conducted between 2013 and 2015, in a semiarid desert grassland in northern China, to explore the effects of five precipitation treatments (- 40%, - 20%, natural precipitation (CK), + 20%, and + 40% in ambient growing season precipitation) on ANPP.The results showed differences in the effects of precipitation on ANPP in different years. In normal years, precipitation change had no significant effect on ANPP compared with CK. In wet years, only extreme drought significantly decreased the ANPP of the plant community. In dry years, the ANPP significantly increased with the addition of precipitation treatment. The effect of precipitation treatment on the ANPP of forbs was significant, but the effect on the ANPP of grasses and dwarf-shrubs was not significant. Grass ANPP showed an overall increasing trend with the increase in precipitation. With the increase in precipitation, the dwarf-shrubs increased first and then decreased. The increase in precipitation significantly increased soil moisture, which had a significant positive effect on soil organic carbon (SOC). Our results suggest that dwarf-shrub growth under increased precipitation will consume SOC and thus increase ANPP. Precipitation changes affect forbs and plant communities ANPP through dissolvable inorganic nitrogen: soil available phosphorus (DIN: SAP).The results emphasize the importance of precipitation change and functional group ANPP and provide a new way to establish a community ANPP prediction model in response to precipitation change.