The compositions of phenolic acids in soil of waste grassland, Pinus massoniana forest and Schima superba forest were determined by extraction electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS), and the effects of phenolic acids on seed germination and seedling growth were also studied. The results indicated that rosin compounds was not observed in the soil of waste grassland and Schima superba forest, while the concentration of rosin compounds in soil of Pinus massoniana forest generally reached to 10-100 mg/kg. The germination energy was not significantly different between the control and the concentration of rosin compounds in the soils below 12 mg/kg treatments. When the concentration of rosin compounds in soils was over 25 mg/kg, the germination energy of Lolium perenne, Bothriochloa ischaemum, Festuca elata and Leucaena leucocephala significantly decreased. The germination rate of Leucaena leucocephala was significantly lower than control at high concentration of rosin.