Plant diversity and its relationship with soil factors in the middle reaches of the Heihe River based on the soil salinity gradient

Wetlands are a unique ecosystem formed by the interaction of water and land, and have the function of maintaining different plant community types, and greatly promote species richness of the region. Thus, wetlands have become a hot research area for biodiversity conservation. Wetlands are important for water and carbon cycle regulation, wildlife survival, biological diversity, and economic value; however, human activities along with severe environment changes have led to critical loss and degradation of wetland ecosystems. In particular, soil salinity accumulation exerts a significant impact on wetland plant diversity. In previous studies, soil salinity has been considered an important factor affecting plant diversity in arid and semiarid areas. This study aimed to characterize the relationship between plant diversity and other soil factors along the soil salinity gradient in the middle reaches of the Heihe River. There were 27 sites along the middle reaches of the Heihe River and a total of 87 sampling plots