Purpose: This study aimed to identify the key drivers governing the spatial distribution of soil nutrients and their stoichiometric ratios throughout soil profiles in a desert ecosystem. Methods: We collected 107 soil profiles (0-100 cm depth) from four desert types in a representative arid region: gravel desert (46 profiles), salt desert (20), mud desert (14), and sand desert (27). Results: Soil organic carbon (SOC) content decreased significantly with increasing soil depth in gravel, mud, and salt desert. Total nitrogen (TN) content declined with depth in salt and mud deserts, while total phosphorus (TP) content decreased in gravel deserts. In contrast, TP increased significantly with depth in salt deserts. The total potassium (TK) content in the 0-5 cm surface layer was significantly higher than in deeper layers; however, no significant differences in TK were observed among the different desert types within the same soil layer. The soil N: P ratio was exceptionally low across all profiles (ranging from 0.47 to 0.95), markedly lower than the global average of 13:1, indicating severe nitrogen limitations for biological activity in these desert soils. The explanatory power of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for variations in soil stoichiometry weakened with soil depth. Conversely, the influence of bulk density (BD) and soil texture (particle size composition) on stoichiometric ratios became progressively stronger in deeper soil layers. Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence of the vertical distribution patterns of soil stoichiometry influenced by landscape type and soil depth in an arid desert region. Our findings highlight a distinct shift in the dominant controlling factors with depth: vegetation cover (as represented by NDVI) primarily governs nutrient patterns in the topsoil, whereas abiotic physical factors (BD and soil texture) emerge as increasingly important determinants in the deeper soil layers.