Abstract: In China pine forest are mainly distributed in the subtropical zone and the temperate zone. In the eastern part of the subtropical and temperate zone,there are Pinus massoniana forest, P. armandii forest P. tabulaeformis forest, P. koraiensis forest,and P. sylvestris var. mongolica forest. Because of differences in species,origination and age of pine stands, their biomass is about 65～200 t·hm-2 and decreases with increasing of latitude. The contents of main nutrient elements in needles of pine tree are as follows: [N]>[K]≥[Ca]> [Mg]≥[P]. At the same time, the contents of the nutrient elements differed among the species. Interspecific difference in nitrogen content of the needles was as follows : Pinus armandii > P. massoniana > P. tabulaeformis > P. koraiensis>P, sylvestris var. mongolica. Phosphorus and potassium contents were higher in needles of P. tabulaeformis and P. koraiensi. Calcium content fluctuation was big and dependent on rock from which the soil developed. The nitrogen accumulation, among the five elements (N, P, K, Ca,and Mg),was about 25 %～40% of all in pine stands. Habitat, species and plant age affected the rate of nutrient element cycling. In general, the cycling rate of the nutrient elements of the pine stands in the subtropical zone was higher than that of the pine stands in the temperate zone.