Abstract: Using classical statistics and geo-statistics, the spatial heterogeneity of soil available nutrients in five typical old-field communities with different abandonment ages in Loess Hilly Region were demonstrated at community scale. The results indicated that: 1) In the case of nutrient levels, old-fields in the study area are attributed by relative poor soils, 0-20 and 20-40 cm available nutrients increased in middle abandonment stage of succession, nutrient content in surface soil was higher than that in sub-layer. 2) The variability of available nutrients was mainly composed of structural variation. Soil available potassium and nitrate nitrogen in 0-20 cm of the 6-7 years old-field, and subsurface soil nitrate nitrogen in 20-40 cm of the 25-years old-field had intermediate spatial correlation. In other old-fields, available nutrients in surface and subsurface soil had strong spatial correlation. 3) 0-20 cm available potassium and nitrate nitrogen showed the strongest spatial variability in earlier abandonment stage of succession; 20-40 cm available potassium and nitrate nitrogen showed the strongest spatial variability in middle and early-middle stage of succession respectively; Spatial variability of available phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen in surface layer was strongest in middle abandonment stage of succession; Spatial variability of available phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen in subsurface layer was strongest in early-middle and middle abandonment stage of succession respectively. Regarding about the index of spatial heterogeneity, significant differences were found among the 5 old-field communities, which implies that the principal ecological processes of the four available soil nutrients are assorted.