[Objective] The variation laws of community characteristics with different planting years were studied in accordance with the initial stage of vegetation restoration of the slope of a coal gangue heap in the arid area of Northwest China to provide the basis for ecological restoration in Wuhai mining area.[Methods] The Meifang coal gangue heap in Wuhai mining area was taken as the research object

and the growth status of vegetation and community stability in the initial stage of vegetation restoration were compared and analyzed by using the method of sampling and surveying the field samples.[Results] ① The number of species increased significantly during the vegetation restoration. There were only four species of natural invasive plants in the second year of restoration; then

the number increased to six in the third year. In the fourth year

the number of species increased to seven

and the dominant species were Halogeton arachnoideus. The number of natural invasive plant species increased gradually

indicating that the community was undergoing a positive succession process. ② The average vegetation coverage

superterrane biomass

and richness index increased by 1.5 times

with an increase in the restoration years from two to four

indicating that the community structure was gradually becoming stable. ③ The community of the coal gangue hill was in the initial stage of succession when the vegetation was reconstructed for two to four years. The similarity coefficient of community decreased year by year

and the community structure tended to be complicated

but it was still in an unstable state.[Conclusion] In the following vegetation restoration of coal gangue hill

naturally permanent planting of local species that are adaptive for local conditions should be properly promoted when planting typical reclamation plant species

such as Leguminosae

Gramineae

and Compositae. In addition

the local gene bank should be preserved in the coal gangue hill by planting native plant species belonging to the climax stage of succession.