Abstract: In order to evaluate hydrological functions of different vegetation communities in the Three Gorges Region,the results of a study in August 2004 on the water retaining capacity and infiltration property of soil of four typical forest stands(mixed Pinus massoniana-deciduous forests,evergreen broadleaved forests,Phyllostachys pubescens forests and evergreen broadleaved shrub forests) in the Jinyun Mountain of the Three Gorges Region,Chongqing were presented.Study showed that the non-capillary water retaining capacity was 1.5-2 times as high as that of arable farmland soil and the effective water storage of the soil was 1.1-1.9 times as high,the exception was the soil of P. pubescens forests.For the four forest stands, the water retaining capacities of the soil were ranked as follows:evergreen broadleaf shrub forests(454.1 mm) > mixed P.massoniana-deciduous forests(327.6 mm) > evergreen broadleaf forests(292.5 mm) >P.pubescens forests(218.9 mm).The stable infiltration rates of the soil of four typical forest stands were ranked in the following order:evergreen broadleaf forests(10.169 mm/min) > P.pubescens forests(0.927 mm/min) > mixed P.massoniana-deciduous forests(0.743 mm/min) > evergreen broadleaved forests(0.551 mm/min) > arable farmland(0.253 mm/min).In general,the soil of the evergreen broadleaved shrub forests has the best hydrological function in soil water retention capacity and infiltration property.These characteristics are better in the mixed P.massoniana-deciduous forests than in the evergreen broadleaf forests,while the performance of the P.pubescens forests is worse in both capacities.