Abstract:The effects of grazing, litter collection and shrub clearance on soil structure and ant-erodiblity were investigated in artificial Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. forests of the Loess Plateau. Results showed that compared with those in undisturbed soil, the sand grain contents in 0~50 cm soil with the human disturbances of increasing intensities increased separately by 11.83%, 37.80% and 51.60%, the contents of silt reduced separately by 8.16%, 11.83%and 15.55%, the contents of clay decreased separately by 8.10%, 20.84% and 30.72%,which illustrated that the soil tended to become coarsen; compared with the content of water stable aggregates in undisturbed forestland, the contents of water stable aggregates of >0.25 mm decreased separately by 16.59%, 43.12% and 61.13%, the contents of water stable aggregates of >1.0 mm are separately 27.78% and 24.34% that of in undisturbed forest land; the contents of water stable aggregates of 1.00.25 mm declined to an smaller extent and the proportions of micro-aggregates decreased separately by 19.39%, 32.62% and 33.47%, while the proportions of micro-aggregates of <0.05 mm greatly increased with increasing disturbance intensity. The bulk weights of soil increased by 0.110.41g/cm3. The total porosity decreased separately by 13.64%, 25.47% and 39.14% and the capillary spaces decreased separately by 7.79%, 11.54% and 29.32%, and the non-capillary spaces decreased separately by 28.47%, 60.79% and 64.08%. It was shown that the non-capillary space of topsoil is more sensitive to human disturbance. The highest soil water holding capacities decreased separately by 23.42%, 37.15% and 52.92% and the water-holding capacities by soil capillary reduced by 33.79%, 43.01% and 52.22%; the natural water contents dropped drown separately by 31.03%, 39.34% and 46.28% and the saturation moisture capacities reduced separately by 16.14%, 28.80% and 49.68%; the field water holding capacities decreased separately by 12.39%, 33.92% and 47.47%, and the content of available soil water reduced separately by 9.55%, 20.55% and 58.91%. The initial infiltration rates in the first three minutes decreased separately by 38.74%, 51.45%, and 63.23% and the stabilized infiltration rates dropped separately by 54.06%, 71.63% and 84.10%, so that the accumulative infiltration in the initial three minutes were 48.15%, 65.93% and 73.35% separately lower than in undisturbed forestlands. The saturated hydraulic conductivities decreased separately by 8.73%, 33.33% and 51.00% compared with that in the control. The structure coefficient of soil declined from 79.12% to 27.32%, the aggregations fell from 59.48% to 11.11%, the dispersion rations were more than one times higher and the dispersion coefficients were more than four times higher. Decrease in litter amount and organic matter in soil were the major reason resulting in deterioration in soil physical properties and the grazing and trampling followed.