Abstract:Rubber plantations are one of the most successful types of artificial forests. The flux and characteristic parameters of 3 cycling nutrient elements (N, P, K) were studied in a rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantation of Clone PR107 at different ages. The results show that: (1) The flux of nutrients were found to increase with the age of the growth, which ranged as N>K>P. The total nutrient absorption, retention, return and nutrient of rubber latex in rubber plantation ecosystem were estimated to be 315.28-949.13kg·hm-2·a-1, 282.78-714.51kg·hm-2·a-1, 32.50-205.74kg·hm-2·a-1 and 10.18-37.73kg·hm-2·a-1. The nutrient input and output in soil ranged from 111.73kg.hm-2.a-1 to 652.79kg·hm-2·a-1, and 315.28kg·hm-2·a-1 to 949.13kg·hm-2·a-1,and the loss of nutrient in soil was just -249.94 kg·hm-2·a-1;(2) Characteristic parameters of nutrient cycling changed with increasing age. Both absorption and return coefficients increased, retention coefficient decreased, and soil and litter nutrient equilibrium index declined as well after 6 years. The litter decomposition limited the rate of nutrient cycling, which resulted in nutrient imbalance in the soil. Nutrient utilizing efficiency was reduced after the first growth up to 14 years;(3) There were differences of the characteristic parameter of nutrient cycling for each element. Absorption and return coefficient both ranked in the following order: N>P>K, retention coefficient and nutrient utilizing efficiency followed the sequence K>P>N and P>K>N, but the soil and litter equilibrium index stood in the order of P>N>K and K>N>P. It′s also indicated that the liquidity of elements were the largest in N, second in K, and least in P, and so were the cycling rate and level.