RESUMO
This paper studied the soil physical properties, soil CO2, soil water and spring water chemistry in a mature forest and a shrub in Nongla of Guangxi, China, as well as the relationships between the chemistry of soil water and spring water, aimed to understand the karst effect of the soil water in Nongla epikarst dynamic system. Significant differences were observed in the soil bulk density and non-capillary porosity under forest and shrub, which affected soil water content. The fixed CO2 in soil water had a significant negative correlation with soil CO2, and the free CO2 in soil water was 0 mg x m(-3) in the forest and 5.33 x 10(3) mg x m(-3) in the shrub. In soil water and spring water, there was a negative correlation between pH and Ca2+, Mg2+, and Cl- concentrations, and a positive correlation between K+, Na+, and HCO3- concentrations and organic C content. After the eluviation of rain water, the ion concentrations in leached soil water increased greatly, and accordingly, its corrosion ability enhanced greatly. The karst process in forest environment was stable and intensive, while that in shrub environment was active but weak.