The relationship between soil seed banks and aboveground vegetation is one of the most important components of soil seed bank research. It provides critical information on the nature of vegetation regeneration in ecosystems and ultimately guides the conservation and management of wetland biodiversity. In order to explore this relationship, using the Sørensen similarity index we reviewed the literature on the study of wetland soil seed banks and vegetation from 1900 to 2012, based on the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). The results indicate that the similarity between soil seed banks and the vegetation of different wetland types varies significantly. Riverine wetlands had the lowest similarity between aboveground vegetation and seed banks compared with marshy wetland, lacustrine wetland and coastal wetland. Similarity varied significantly among different vegetation types, and herbaceous plant communities had a higher similarity than forested communities. A significant difference in the similarity index was also found among climatic zones, with the lowest in subtropical zones. This paper also reviewed the temporal and spatial characteristics of the relationship between wetland soil seed banks and vegetation. Similarity varied among seasons and years. Generally, the similarity index decreases with plant community succession; however, it varies in proportion to environmental factors, especially water disturbance. Most of the studies were conducted on a local scale using the space-for-time method. Long-term observational and landscape scale studies have become a new trend. Factors influencing their relationships were discussed in terms of seed dispersal, environmental conditions and reproductive strategy. Seed dispersal by wind, water and animals changes the species composition of the seed bank, making it different from the aboveground vegetation. Seeds that accumulate in persistent seed bank remain viable for a long period, which might otherwise perish in aboveground vegetation-one of the reasons for low similarity at the late successional stage. Environmental conditions, such as light, temperature and water conditions, are another mechanism driving plant community composition, affecting seed germination and seedling survival. The similarity is high in conditions suitable for seed germination and establishment, and low in unsuitable conditions. Differentiation in reproductive strategy between sexual reproduction and vegetative reproduction also resulted in a difference in species abundance in seed banks and in the similarity between seed banks and aboveground vegetation. The relationship between seed banks and vegetation can provide an insight into how the composition of plant communities changes in respect to disturbances, succession and restoration. A high similarity between seed banks and aboveground vegetation is more likely with the regeneration of vegetation on wetlands. In terms of wetland conservation and management, it is necessary to carry out assessments of targeted species and environmental evaluations of seed banks. For a comprehensive understanding of plant community structure and dynamics, it is proposed that future research should focus on the relationship between the soil seed bank and aboveground vegetation in wetlands. Long-term observation of wetland ecosystems and improved methods are suggested. At the same time, research suggests that there should be far more focus on how seed banks and aboveground vegetation influence each other and whether there is a threshold of similarity index indicating changes in plant community characteristics based on statistics. More studies should focus on the conservation and management of wetlands due to global climate change and human activity.