To study the ecological recovery effect and soil physical and chemical factors affecting the species diversity of herb layer after land subsidence in mining area, we adopted the space-for-time substitution, selected the area of artificial recovery for 5a and 7a as the study sample sites and a sample site without artificial planting (C) as the control group. The plant species diversity index, and its correlation with soil physical and chemical factors within different recovery years were studied based on field plant community survey and soil sampling. The results showed that: (1) Compared with the control area, the number of Compositae and Amaranthaceae increased, and the number of Gramineae decreased. The number of species increased after 5 years, decreased after 7 years of artificial recovery, and the proportion of perennial herbs decreased gradually. Artificial recorvery improved the species richness of shrub layer. (2) After 7 years of artificial recovery, the species Shannon-Wiener diversity index of the herb layer increased significantly (P < 0.05). The dominant species changed from a single dominant species community dominated by Corispermum Stauntonii to a multi-dominant species community dominated by Dysphania aristata, Leymus racemosus, Astragalus Melilotoides and Setaria viridis. (3) Artificial vegetation recovery in coal mining subsidence area could improve SWC and soil TN, and the effect on soil TN was more significant (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that SWC was the most important environmental factor affecting Shannon-Wiener, Simpson and Pielou index of herb layer, and TN also affected Shannon Wiener index. These findings indicates that the artificial vegetation recovery in coal mining subsidence area is of positive significance to improve SWC, TN, vegetation community structure and plant species diversity.