In order to understand dynamics of soil water-stable aggregates along chronosequences and relationship with soil physico-chemical properties on abandoned arable land in eroded hilly loess plateau

11 arable old land with different ages after being abandoned in Zhifanggou catchment were studied systematically through the approach of substituting the temporal serial with spatial serial.In addition

the correlation between soil water-stable aggregates and physico-chemical properties were examined.The results showed that the contents of soil water-stable aggregates increased promptly in early abandoned stage

and increased slowly with the extension of being abandoned

then kept a relatively stable content in the follow years.The contents increased by the percentage of 253.45% in the first 10 years of being abandoned

but by only of 16.42% in the follow 40 years.The significant correlations were observed between >0.25 mm aggregate and soil organic carbon

total nitrogen

available P

CaCO3

CEC and microbial biomass C

N

P

but not with available K.It is necessary to close and manage hillsides as well as keep soil organic carbon in a good balance in order to improve soil structure on abandoned arable land in eroded hilly loess plateau.