[Objective] Under the patterns of mulched crops

pasture

and abandoned lands

the effects of land use type on the physical and chemical properties of soil in terraced sloping land were studied to provide support for the optimization of agricultural production management in the terraced sloping land of loess areas.[Methods] Regions of terraced sloping land in the loess area of Longxi County were selected as study sites. Soil sampling was performed for five different land use types:a cornfield

an alfalfa field

land abandoned land for two years

land abandoned for four years

and barren grassland. The sampling was undertaken according to the different slope positions (cutting section

middle section

and filling section)

and the physical and chemical properties of the 0-40 cm soil layer were analyzed.[Results] Under different types of land use

the soil moisture content and bulk density increased with increased depth of the soil layer

whereby the cornfield soil had the highest moisture content and the lowest bulk density. The mechanical compositions of the soils ranked as:fine sand > clay > powder > coarse sand. The soil moisture content

bulk density

clay fraction

and powder fraction all showed a trend with slope position as:cutting section > middle section > filling section

while the coarse sand fraction

fine sand fraction

organic carbon content

available potassium content

and hydrolysable nitrogen content

all showed a contrasting trend. The average change of the soil pH value was largest in the alfalfa field and smallest in the abandoned land; there was no significant difference in the analysis of variance (p>0.05). The average changes of soil organic carbon

available potassium content

and available phosphorus content were largest in the cornfield

and the soil hydrolysable nitrogen content was ranked as follows:alfalfa field > corn field > land abandoned for two years > barren grassland > land abandoned for four years.[Conclusion] The cornfield of plastic mulch exhibited better promotional effects for the soil moisture content

bulk density

and nutrient content than the other land use types

and the soil in the filling section was more fertile. During farming

the fertilization of the cutting section should be strengthened.