The ecological stoichiometric of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) is an important basis to reflect the process of ecosystem change. This study selected Caragana tangutica, Berberis diaphana, Potentilla fruticosa, Caragana jubata and Salix gilashanica which lived in northern piedmont of the central Qilian Mountain as object, to determine the contents of soil C, N and P by field investigation and sampling, analyze the vertical distribution characteristics of soil C, N and P contents and their ecological stoichiometry in different shrub communities, and discuss the coupling relationship among the indexes. It could provid a theoretical basis for the relationship between soil and plant nutrients and the restoration and reconstruction of degraded vegetation in Qilian Mountain. The results showed that: (1) the mean contents of soil C, N and P were 45.29, 3.85, 0.70 g/kg, respectively, which were higher than the national average levels. (2) According to the correlation analysis, soil C and N presented extremely significant positive correlation (P<0.01), but there was no significant correlation between soil C and P or between soil N and P, Furthermore, C and N showed almost synchronous variation. (3) The contents of soil C and N in the surface layer were higher than those in the lower layer, while there was no significant difference in soil P between soil layers in all shrub types. The contents of soil C and N showed an inverted pyramid distribution pattern with the deepening of soil layer in different shrub types, but the changes of soil P were not consistent with the deepening of soil layer in different shrub types, and the effect of soil layer on soli P was not significant. (4) The mean soil C∶N, C∶P and N∶P ratios were 11.29, 66.99 and 5.67, respectively, which were all below the national level. The soil C∶P and N∶P showed a decreasing trend with the deepening of soil layer to different degrees in all shrub types, but the change rule of soil C∶N was different with the deepening of soil layer in all shrub types. (5) Soil C, N and C∶N, C∶P, N∶P had extremely significant quadratic function relationship (P<0.01), but the relationship between soil P and C∶N, C∶P, N∶P was not significant. According to the research, the soil C∶N and P content have high stability (3.99% and 2.66%), whereas the C∶P and N∶P are important indicators for determining nutrient limitation. The soil of shrub community is mainly restricted by N element in northern piedmont of the central Qilian Mountain.