Community structures of soil Sarcodina in 7 different habitats within Baiyun Mountain in Guangzhou. China were investigated with qualitative and quantitative analyses. The abundance, dominance, species diversity and community similarity index of soil sarcodina with different physicochemical parameters were comparatively analyzed. A total 67 species of sarcodina belonging to 4 Super-groups, 6 First ranks and 14 Second ranks were identified. The first dominant group was Tubulinea, followed by Flabellinea, with dominance of 59.7% and 13.4%, respectively. The highest abundance of sarcodina appeared in autumn of Site 5, reaching 1.20 x 10(5) ind g(-1); the lowest in spring of Site 2 with 1.73 x 10(3) ind g(-1). Margalers biodiversity index ranged from 1.26 (winter of Site 6) to 2.51 (summer of Site 1). Statistical analyses showed the sarcodina abundance was positively correlated with organic matter, soil moisture, soil pH, ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen, but the correlation coefficient of total potassium was negative. Total phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen and sulphate showed no significant effect on sarcodina abundance in the present study. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.