Artisanal gold mining has expanded rapidly across many river basins globally with significant implications for water resources and local livelihoods. This study interrogated the influence of the area of vegetation cleared for artisanal gold mining on higher plants species richness and abundance in River Yala middle basin using a cross sectional descriptive research design, spatial measurements of area of vegetation cleared for 321 plots where artisanal gold mining is practiced were quantified and analysed alongside the total number of different higher plants species and the total number of higher plants species. A household questionnaire was used to obtain information on the names of higher plants species found in plots cleared of vegetation for artisanal gold mining. Regression analysis was employed to determine the strength and significance of relationship between area of vegetation cleared for artisanal gold mining and higher plants species richness and abundance. The findings demonstrated a strong statistically significant relationship between the area of vegetation cleared for artisanal gold mining and higher plants species richness and abundance. The results showed that; 74 %, r 2 = 0.74, p < 0.05, of variation in higher plants species richness and 61 %, r 2 = 0.61, p < 0.05 of variation in higher plants species abundance can be explained by the area of vegetation cleared for AGM. This results revealed that, ecologically sensitive native species such as Prunus Africana (0.8 %), Cordia africana (1.1 %), Khaya anthotheca (1.4 %), Syzygium cordatum 0.5 %and Diospyros abyssinica 1 % were rare or absent in plots with vegetation cleared for AGM. Pioneer and exotic species such as Eucalyptus camaldulensis (16 %), Grevillea robusta (11 %) and Mangifera indica 6.8 % dominated areas of cleared vegetation due to; agroforestry practices, fast regeneration, growth and tolerance. Whereas plots cleared of vegetation for artisanal gold mining exhibited lower species richness