A long-term experiment based on the natural conditions and geomorphologic characteristics of the red soil area was conducted on top of a low hill of red soil derived from the Quaternary red clay in the Ecological Experiment Station of Red Soil, the Chinese Academy of Science, located in Yingtan (28°15 30 N, 116°55 30 E), Jiangxi Province to study dynamics of nutrients in the process of artificial rehabilitation of forests. Results of the 12 years-long experiment show that the soil nutrient budget of broadleaf forests and mixed forests tended to be in deficit in the first 1~3 years and began to turn the other way round afterwards and eventually gained in surplus.. But under original sparse natural mason pine forests and under naturally restored vegetation, the soils were losing nutrients rapidly in the first three years and slowly in the later years. They are still losing, but very slow. Especially in the soil under naturally restored vegetation, the nutrient loss is so serious that the soil is on the brink of degradation. It is, therefore, essential that special attention be paid to restoring vegetation coverage, avoiding random reclamation, and controlling water and soil loss so as to protect the soil resources for sustainable utilization.