Abstract: 【Objective】 Cushion plants can affect the species diversity and stability of ecosystem by improving soil physical and chemical properties in alpine cold desert. However,it is not clear whether the impact of alpine cushion plants on soil physical and chemical properties is of universality.【Method】 The study employed alpine cushion plants from Baima Snow Mountain（BM）,Kunlun Mountain（KL）,Qilian Mountain（QL） and Urumchi River source region（TS） in China as the materials,to investigate the difference of soil physical and chemical properties（pH,electrical conductivity,organic matter,total nitrogen,total phosphorus,alkaline nitrogen and available phosphorus） between under dominant cushion plants and open area in alpine cold desert.【Result】 Compared to open area,the presence of cushion plants could significantly improve the pH value of soil（P＜0. 05）. In acidic soil,cushion plants could increase the pH value（in BM2,pH value increased from 5. 38 to 7. 10）,while they could reduce the soil pH value in alkaline soil. When compared with open area,the soil nutrients and electrical conductivity were significantly increased under most cushion plant（the reduction of pH value ranged from 5. 78% to12. 77% in KL、QL and TS;P＜0. 05）. Except for the total phosphorus and available phosphorus that were significantly lower in the three TS sites than in the open area,the coverage of cushion plants significantly improved the soil nutrient status（electrical conductivity and nutrient content）,with all measured nutrient indicators being higher in the TS sites than in the open area and most of them being significantly increased（P＜0. 05）. With soil organic matter as an example,its lowest content increased by 36. 89%（BM1）,and the highest content increased by 981. 91%（QL2） in 14communities of cushion plants of four study sites.【Conclusion】 Although the significant difference in soil physicochemical properties,the presence of cushion plants could improve soil environments across different climatic zones. As the key species in plant community in alpine cold desert zone,cushion plants probably play a critical role in maintaining species diversity in the periglacial fragile ecosystem through improving soil environment.