Soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) are the main elements involved in plant photosynthesis and affect the primary productivity of ecosystems. Gannan Plateau is an important ecological barrier of the Yellow River Basin. In order to understand the difference in soil nutrients of different forest stands in this area, four typical stands including the pure forest of Picea asperata, Larix principis, Abies fargesii, and the mixed forest of Betula utilis and Abies faxoniana were selected to research the soil C, N, P stoichiometric characteristics. The results showed that the soil C and N contents were the highest in the mixed forest of Abies faxoniana and Betula utilis, while soil N and P were the lowest in Picea asperata. The contents of P changed significantly between different forest stands (P<0.05), and the contents of C and N changed significantly between different soil layers (P<0.05). In addition, the soil C:N value of the Picea asperata was significantly higher than that of other stands. In contrast, the soil N:P and C:P in the mixed forest of Abies faxoniana and Betula utilis were higher than those in other stands. The altitude, soil pH, bulk density and water content were important factors affecting soil nutrients. Soil C content was significantly correlated with soil N and P content (P<0.05). In general, the soil stoichiometric characteristics of different stands had significant differences, and the soil nutrient status of the mixed forest was better than that of pure forests. In the future, it is possible to improve forest soil quality by selecting appropriate species and increasing tree species diversity in forest management and vegetation construction.