Abstract:Soil acidification is a formidable environmental issue which acts as a driver of change to alter forest tree species community composition over time. Forests characterized by the dominant tree species, Pinus massoniana, have shown extreme sensitivity to the increased soil acidity and are undergoing transformational shifts in community composition as a response. Planting treatments are a strategy often used to mitigate the harmful effects of increasing soil acidity, though little is known about how different treatments may affect soil physicochemical properties in P. massoniana forests. In this study, we characterized soil nutrient levels, stable soil aggregates, and soil acidification status of five different forest types (including pure stands of P. massoniana, Cinnamomum camphora, Schima superba and mixed stands of C. camphora-P. massoniana, S. superba-P. massoniana) to show how shifts in community composition may affect soil quality and help to inform management in areas impacted by acid rain. We collected and analyzed soil samples from O, A, and B horizons at 10 points within 20 m×20 m plots replicated 3-4 times within each forest type. For O horizon soils, organic carbon and total nitrogen were lower in all forest types (P<0.05) compared to those measured in stands of pure P. massoniana, with the exception of mixed stands of S. superba-P. massoniana. Total phosphorus and total potassium levels were greater in C. camphora and mixed C. camphora-P. massoniana stands as compared to pure P. massoniana for all horizons, while pure S. superba and mixed S. superba-P. massoniana stands showed significantly lower amounts (P<0.05). Our findings suggest that planting C. camphora may improve soil acidification status, while planting S. superba is unlikely to have a significant effect (P>0.05). Stable soil macro aggregates were greater in B horizon soils of pure S. superba and mixed S. superba-P. massoniana stands, while micro aggregate abundances were greater in pure C. camphora and mixed C. camphora-P. massoniana stands (P<0.05) compared to pure stands of P. massoniana. Soil aggregate stability showed no significant differences in O horizon soils across all forest types or A and B horizon soils from pure S. superba stands, though stability was greater in A and B horizon soils from mixed P. massoniana stands and pure stands of C. camphora (P<0.05) as compared to pure P. massoniana stands. In conclusion, different tree planting treatments demonstrated ability to alter soil acidification status within a P. massoniana plantation, though the effects of different treatments varied. Further study is needed to determine the most effective management strategies for restoring acid-polluted forest sites.