AbstractThe change in st ructure and diversity of soil arthropod communities of secondary forest after the simulated process of slash-and-burn was studied in Xishuangbanna. The results showed that colonies and individuals of soil arthropod communities declined from 14 colonies , 564 individuals in secondary forest to 7 colonies , 164 individuals in slash-and-burn fields one week after burning. The composition of soil arthropod communities was also changed. The proportion of individuals of Hymenoptera (ants) in burned remnants was greatly increased on the first day after burning , and this was obviously the dominant group in the soil arthropod community. The proportion of individuals of Acari was greatly increased during the first week after burning , and it was the only dominant group of the soil arthropod community in the field. The diversity of the soil arthropod community was decreased and the verticalst ructure of the community was disrupted by slash-and-burn. After the slash-and-burn process , there were many more colonies and individuals of soil arthropod in the lower soil than in the surface soil. The dest ruction by slash-and-burn of soil arthropod communities was reduced to a certain extent in deeper soil layers. Some soil arthropods can keep their numbers and species by moving lower in the soil during the slash-and-burn process.