In order to clarify the dynamics of soil nutrient properties in Singkarak region in West Sumatra, we investigated the nutrient characteristics of the several sample of soils under different land use in Singkarak, West Sumatra, Indonesia and compared it both spatially and seasonally. The soil nutrient characterisitics was varied between the different land use and elevation. The range of nutrient characteristics of upland poor soils at Singkarak, West Sumatra were 1.16-46,70, 0.14-5.32 and 0,07-3.22 c mol ₍₊₎ kg^-1 for exchangeable Ca, Mg and K and were 0.06-0.39 %, 0.4-4.4 % for the total N and organic C, respectively. The highest content of exchangeable Ca found under rice field at lower elevation, while the lowest content was found at fallow areal in the high elevation site. This result indicated that the rice field with sawah system (leveld and bunded cultivation field) at lower position of the slope could trap the nutrient leached from the upland. The soil nutrient content such as exchangeable Ca and Mg tend to decrease from 1995 to 2005 under at different rates in different land uses and elevations. However, the total N and organic C of some of land uses increased. These results that seasonally the nutrient properties of soil was closely related to the land management and practices. It was suggested that the nutrient caharacteristics of soils in Singkarak region tropical area was significantly affected by the land use types.

Keywords: land use, nutrient dynamics, toposequences, West Sumatra