The community structure and diversity distribution pattern of salt meadow reed plant along soilmoisture gradient were studied in Dunhuang West Lake.The results showed that the test area was dominatedby xeric and highly xeric shrubs

subshrubs and herbaceous plants.The dominant species were Lycium ruthenicum

Alhagi Sparsifolia

Phragmites communis

and the companion plants were Leymus secalinus

Carex orbicularis

Salsola collina.The community structure could be divided vertically into three layers.The analysis of biodiversity on three transects showed that with the increase of soil moisture

richness indexand evenness index of dMe

Eincreased first and then decreased

showing an unimodal trend.In contrast

dominance index Coverall presented a single valley trend as it decreased first and then increased.Simpson diversity index showed a double-peak form and Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Simpson diversity indexremained consistent.