Under two habitats (shady and terrace) and four grades (0.2-0.6m², grade 1, G1; 0.6-2 m², grade 2, G2; 2-3.6 m², grade 3, G3 and 3.6-8.6 m², grade 4, G4, respectively) of Leontopodium nanum patches in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, we used the power laws method: (1) to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of populations and communities, and the species diversity characteristics of the community, (2) to determine the effects on the vegetation distribution pattern by the dominant species, subdominant species, accompanying species, and rare species. The results indicated that each L. nanum patch exhibited an aggregated distribution pattern, the variance logarithm values of both random occurrence frequency and actual occurrence frequency of each species better coincided with their respective power laws (R² > 0.8), which suggested that the power laws method can objectively analyze the distribution patterns of grassland vegetation. The relative spatial heterogeneity indices (ε) of dominant species both L. nanum and Kobresia capillifolia, and subdominant species both Artemisia smithii and Polygonum viviparum, were located in the upper y=0, and were higher than the spatial heterogeneity index of community (δ_C), which can increase the community spatial heterogeneity. For the accompanying species, including Stipa krylovii, Stellera chamaejasme, and Carex sp, their relative spatial heterogeneity indices (ε) closed the line of y=0, and were similar with the δ_C of community, which can maintain the community spatial heterogeneity. While for the rare species, their relative spatial heterogeneity indices (ε) were lower than the δ_C of community, and were below y=0, which can reduce the δ_C of community. When the grade levels of L. nanum patches increased, the number of species in the community increased, and the richness (D_GI) decreased. Generally, the δc and βw of L. nanum patches was terrace > shady, and D_GI was terrace < shady. The similarity of the species constitution of G1 patches was low, whereas G2-G4 patches was high. The community spatial distribution pattern of L. nanum patches is mainly determined by dominant species and rare species.