Abstract:In order to study the changes of soil hydrological function after the main long-period plantations were changed into short-period Eucalyptus plantations in Guangxi, the basic physical properties and water storage function of soil were studied by combining field sampling with laboratory analysis. Compared with long-period plantation before, the changes of soil water storage capacity after afforestation of Eucalyptus were mainly manifested by the increases of reservoir capacity and residual water storage space in 20-40 cm soil layer. With the increase of soil depth, and soil bulk density increased gradually, the saturated water holding capacity and total porosity decreased gradually, meanwhile, soil reservoir capacity and residual storage space also showed a decreasing trend. The influence of Eucalyptus afforestation on soil physical properties occurred mainly in 20-40 cm soil. The soil reservoir capacity and residual water storage space increased compared with the long rotation period plantation. The soil reservoir capacity of one-year-old, three-year-old and five-year-old Eucalyptus plantations was 11.25%, 19.14% and 14.33% higher than that of the corresponding long-term plantations, while the residual storage space was 9.16%, 113.01% and 23.62% higher than that of the corresponding long-term plantations respectively. And the soil water storage capacity under 40 cm soil layer deceased. The results could provide a theoretical basis for evaluating the soil effect of Eucalyptus plantation.