Abstract.The properties of soil under 15‐year‐old plantations of gmelina (Gmelina arborea) and teak (Tectona grandis) were compared with logged forest soil in south‐western Nigeria. The soil was significantly denser in the 0–10 cm layer of plantation soil and total porosity less than that of forest soil. Organic carbon was significantly greater in the 0–10 cm layer of forest soil. Similarly, the concentrations of total N, exchangeable Ca, Mg and K were greater under forest soil, but the concentrations of available P were similar under all three ecosystems. The smaller organic carbon and nutrient content of plantation soil is mainly due to its more open organic matter and nutrient cycles and nutrient immobilization in the fast‐grow