Background and aims <p>Wind-driven litter and dust transportation are ubiquitous worldwide, exerting significant ecological influences across diverse landscapes. However, the litter and dust fluxes and the carbon and nutrients they carry remain unclear.</p> Methods <p>We conducted six years of synchronous observations of litter and dust fluxes at three sites in a semi-arid steppe in Inner Mongolia, northern China.</p> Results <p>Our findings revealed that the horizontal flux of litter exceeded that of dust, with higher levels occurring during the non-growing season than during the growing season. Vertically, both litter and dust fluxes decreased exponentially as the height from the ground increased. Tumble plant biomass and wind emerged as primary litter transport drivers, while an increase in blowing dust days and wind velocity enhanced dust flux significantly. However, vegetation factors, including coverage, height, and aboveground biomass, exhibited negative correlations with dust flux. We discovered that wind-driven litter carries significantly more carbon and nutrients than dust.</p> Conclusion <p>These findings emphasize that wind-blown litter and dust play crucial roles in redistributing organic carbon and nutrients, thereby enhancing the spatial heterogeneity of these resources in arid and semi-arid ecosystems.</p>