Background and aims <p>Plant roots can induced changes in soil nitrogen (N) transformation, which is critical for plant N utilization in N-limited ecosystems. However, the linkage between plant N preference and the rhizosphere effects on soil N transformation is rarely explored.</p> Methods <p>We determined the relationship between plant N preference (¹⁵N labeling) and the rhizosphere effects on soil net ammonification/nitrification rates of three dominant shrub species (<i>Artemisia ordosica</i>, <i>Salix psammophila</i>, and <i>Caragana korshinskii</i>) in the Mu Us Desert, as well as root traits, rhizosphere and bulk soil microbiomes, functional genes and enzyme activities.</p> Results <p><i>S. psammophila</i> and <i>C. korshinskii</i> with preference for NO₃⁻ had higher rhizosphere nitrification rates, while <i>A. ordosica</i> with preference for NH₄⁺ had higher rhizosphere ammonification rates. The plant N preference was also positively linked to the rhizosphere effects on soil N transformation, indicating that rhizosphere process provided positive feedback to plant N demands. Furthermore, root exudation rates and morphological traits explained the interspecific variations in rhizosphere effects on net ammonification and nitrification rates, respectively. The rhizosphere <i>nifH</i> gene copies and nitrogenase activity contributed to the increasing rhizosphere effect on ammonification rates, while rhizosphere ammonia-oxidizing archaea gene abundance was responsible for the rhizosphere effect on soil net nitrification rates.</p> Conclusion <p>We conclude that the linkage between plant N preference and rhizosphere effects on N transformation is driven by specific rhizosphere physical, physiological and microbial environments. This positive plant-soil feedback may promote species establishment in N-limited soils, which is insightful for understanding plant adaption from a rhizosphere perspective.</p>