Land-use change has been shown to affect soil quality and may lead to soil degradation. The effects of land land-use change from natural forest to tea farming on soil properties and quality were studied within the GuilanProvince of northern Iran. Thirty Thirty-six soil samples (0 –30 cm) were randomly collected from 6six sites with 3three replications at each site. The soil quality of forest land and tea farms was determined using the cumulative rating (CR) index and the Cornell Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health (CASH) scoring functions. Effects of land land-use change on soil quality or health were significant (P < 0.01) using both methods. Both methods for all regions (forest and tea fields) showed that forest land land-use was more sustainable based on lower CR (lower limitation to crop production) and higher CASH scores (higher soil productivity and quality) than tea farm soils. Both methods were also negatively correlated with each other. Despite pH being a limiting factor for soil quality, it was not influenced by land land-use change in most locations because the studied soils were acidic. However, organic carbon was the most important soil quality indicator, which was significantly correlated with soil physical, chemical and biological (respiration rate) properties. Therefore, land land-use management practices that are continuously cultivated should include increases in organic carbon.

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