The water holding characteristics of litter in the six young broadleaved stands of Cinnamomum camphora,L igustrum lucidum,Tsoongiodendron odorum,Elaeocarpus sylvestris,Manglietia yuyuanensis,and Michelia chapensis were studied.By the water holding capacity of litter,the stands was in the order of M.yuyuanensis woodland>M.chapensis woodland>L.lucidum woodland>T.odorum woodland>C.camphora woodland>E.sylvestris woodland.By the proportional water holding capacity as a percentage of the litter dry weight,the stands were in the order of T.odorum woodland>M.yuyuanensis woodland>M.chapensis woodland>C.cam phora woodland>E.sylvestris woodland>L.lucidum woodland.The total water holding capacity and proportional water holding capacity of litter increased logarithmically with increasing time immersed in water.Water absorption rates of litter in all plantations decreased with increasing time immersed in water by a negative exponential relation.