In the last 30 years, a series of spatial changes of vegetation types in different gradient zones has appeared in Heihe River Basin, where belongs a typical ecosystem transition zone in China. In order to explicitly analyze the dynamic change difference of vegetation types located in the different gradient zones of Heihe River Basin, the multi-source data of 440 field sampling data of vegetation types, vegetation spatial data of vegetation distribution in 1980s, remote sensing images, climatic observation data and DEM data were collected and preprocessed. Based on the vegetation distribution status and terrain characteristics of Heihe River Basin, the gradient zones of vegetation vertical distribution were classified into 6 vegetation zones of oasis farmland and desert zone (altitude ≤ 1700 m), desert grassland vegetation zone (1700