Abstract: The research goal, objectives and basic methods of land surface system dynamics are elaborated.Land surface system is defined in view of integrated disciplines, including thespecification of temporal and spatial scales, the choice of state variables, and the discussion of matter cycles and related external factors.Based on the conservation laws of matter and energy, some nonlinear dynamic equations describing the processes of matter andenergy cycles in land surface system and the feedback relations between soil, vegetationand climate are developed.The operating function of governing equations and the effect ofhuman activities on land surface system are also discussed.

Key words: Climate, Vegetation, Soil, Land surface system, Nonlinear dynamics, Feedbackmechanism, litter decomposition, Pinusmassoniana plantation, forest gap, microbial biomass