Abstract:Through investigating and analyzing soil contents of 8 vegetation types and 370 experimental plots around the Three Gorges reservoir, we studied how different vegetation types, soil types, and altitudes affected the amounts of surface organic matter, total N, available P as well as available K. The results indicate: In general, average amounts of soil organic matter and total N are rich in forest around the Three Gorges reservoir area; specifically, the average amounts of the organic matter and total N vary in different vegetation types in the following order: broad\|leaved forest>bamboo forest>coniferous forest>shrub>grass. The average amounts of available P in the vegetation decrease gradually in the order of:grass>deciduous broad\|leaved forest>shrub>warm coniferous forest>deciduous broad\|leaved evergreen forest>temperate coniferous forest>bamboo forest>evergreen broad\|leaved forest,as the grass differentiates from other types of vegetation dramatically. The average amounts of available K vary in the order of deciduous broad\|leaved evergreen forest>deciduous broad\|leaved forest>shrub>coniferous forest>bamboo forest>grass>evergreen broad\|leaved forest. The amounts of nutrients in different types of soil vary remarkably, as the yellow\|brown soil is rich in organic matter and total N, while the purple soil is rich in available P. With increases in altitude, organic and total N increase dramatically; no obvious trend is found as the amount of available P and available K change. The correlation analysis indicates that the content of soil organic matter, total N are significantly positively correlative.