To investigate the impact of coal mining on surface vegetation damage, the 4310 working face of Sangshuping Coal Mine was taken as the research object. Numerical simulation, similar material simulation and other methods were used to study the mechanism of surface deformation and vegetation damage caused by mining in the study area. The results indicate that the maximum surface shear stress during coal seam mining is concentrated at the bottom of the trench and extends towards the top of the slope. The development range of ground fissures is irregularly distributed due to the influence of surface morphology and mining stages. The open-closed type cracks develop perpendicular to the mining direction, and their horizontal distance from the working face shows a periodic development pattern of “rising stable rising falling”. The damage to vegetation roots caused by ground fissures has a relatively weak impact on vegetation growth. The appearance of ground fissures leading to water evaporation and changes in soil properties are the main influencing factors of vegetation degradation. The result reveals the transmission and driving mechanism of “overburden movement surface deformation ground fissure generation soil damage vegetation damage” in the loess covered area, providing a theoretical basis for the treatment of mining induced ground fissures and ecological restoration.