The study looked at different Elaeagnus mollis plant communities in Shanxi to see how diverse they were. They found that areas with a lot of disturbance had fewer plant species, while areas closer to being fully grown had fewer species but more even distribution. Some disturbance actually led to more plant species. The types of plants in the shrub and herb layers varied. The height of the land didn't affect the diversity of these plant communities in Shanxi.