The quality and quantity of litter and its decomposition rate represent, to some extent, the nutritional status of the soil. In order to accurately estimate the contribution of litter decomposition to the annual net return of soil carbon pool and understand the biochemistry of litter-soil continuum, the relationships between litter substrate quality and soil nutrients were studied for different-aged Pinus massoniana stands. The results showed that C, C/N ratio, C/P ratio, lignin/N ratio, lignin/P ratio of litter substrate collected from three different-aged P. massoniana stands were significantly different. The lignin/N ratio of leaf litter in nearly-mature P. massoniana stand was 33.65% and 39.24% higher than that in middle-aged and mature stands, respectively. However, N, P, K and lignin contents of litter substrate did not differ among the different-aged stands. The contents of N, P, and K varied with tissue types showing barkbranches>leaf>debris. The contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus in 0-20 cm soil layer tended to increase from the nearly-mature, to the middle-aged, and mature stands and to decrease from 0-5 cm soil layer, to 5-10 cm, and 10-20 cm soil layer. The total phosphorus was lowest in the middle-aged stands and largest in the mature stand. The soil pH value varied from 4.55-5.55 showing middle-aged standP. massoniana stands were significant. Litter nitrogen content was significantly correlated with total soil nitrogen content. Soil pH, bulk density, and N content were significantly negatively correlated with litter C/N ratio, but positively correlated with lignin/N ratio. Soil surface organic matter, N and P contents were found to depend on nutrients contents in litter substrate. High litter substrate quality resulted in great soil nutrient contents.