Abstract:The widely cultivated jujube-crop intercropping ecosystem (JCIE) is an important pattern of agro-forestry in North China. The spatial distribution of soil nitrogen in this system has not been well documented yet. In order to understand the spatial heterogeneity of this intercropping system, an experiment was carried out at Dashujin village, Nanpi County, Hebei Province during 2005-2006. Soil samples were collected from different sites in JIE, i.e. 0.25 m, 1 m, 2 m, 3 m, 4.5 m, and 6.5 m away from the jujube row, in five successive soil depths, i.e. 0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-100 and 100-150 cm, to determine the spatial distribution of soil total nitrogen (TN), nitrate nitrogen (NO3 -N), and ammonium nitrogen (NH+4-N). The results showed that both horizontal and vertical variances of the distribution for soil TN and NO-3-N in JIE were significant at harvest of wheat and maize However, no spatial variance was found for the distribution of soil NH+4-N. The variance in soil NO-3-N was greater than that in TN and the characteristics of their spatial variance was also different. Along the 0-150 cm soil profile, soil TN first decreased, then increased with the increase in soil depth. The lowest soil TN concentration occurred in 60-100cm soil layer. The characteristics of spatial variance of NO-3-N were more complex than that of TN. Within 2m (at wheat harvest) or 3m (at maize harvest) to the jujube tree row, soil NO-3-N concentration was the highest at 40-60 cm, then it decreased with the increase in soil depth. The variance of NO-3-N was greater closing to jujube row, whereas TN was more consistent. The results showed that fertilizer application positively affected the horizontal variance of soil TN and NO-3-N, while N uptake had a negative effect on it. N uptake, followed by N application rate and soil water content, was important factors influencing the spatial variance of soil TN. To the spatial variance of soil NO-3-N, order of the influencing factors in importance was N application rate >soil TN concentration >N uptake >soil water content.