Abstract: By the methods of classical statistics and geostatistics, this paper studied the spatial heterogeneity of surface soil (0-20 cm layer) moisture and salt contents under three kinds of artificial vegetation in coastal salt land in Chongming Dongtan of Shanghai. The soil moisture content in different  plots was in order of Cynodon dactylon > Taxodium distichum > Nerium indicum, and the coefficient of variation was 13.9%, 13.4% and 12.9%, respectively. The soil electric conductivity was in the order of N. indicum > C. dactylon > T. distichum, and the coefficient of variation was 79.2%, 55.4% and 15.9%, respectively. Both the soil moisture content and the salt content  were in moderate variation. The theoretical models of variogram for the soil moisture and salt contents in different  plots varied, among which, the soil electric conductivity fitted better, with R² between 0.97 and 0.99. When the artificial vegetation varied from N. indicum to T. distichum and then to C. dactylon, the spatial heterogeneity of soil moisture content changed from weak to strong, in which, the variability was random under N. indicum. When the vegetation varied from C. dactylon to T. distichum and to N. indicum, the spatial heterogeneity of soil electric conductivity changed from moderate to strong. Under different vegetations, the soil
electric conductivity was mostly in positive correlation, whereas the soil moisture content was in negative correlation. The spatial pattern of soil moisture and salt contents under T. distichum was in striped distribution, that under C. dactylon was in large plaque and continuous distribution, whereas under N. indicum, the spatial pattern of soil moisture content was in small breaking plaque distribution, and that of soil salt content was in striped distribution.

Key words: artificial vegetation, soil moisture content, soil electric conductivity, spatial heterogeneity, coastal saline soil, Chongming Dongtan.