<p>An assessment of the sal ( Shorea robusta ) plot and the fallow plot, established approximately 30 years ago at Butwal, Rupandehi District, Nepal was carried out to measure the changes in the soil characteristic. Determinations were made for electrical conductivity (EC), pH, organic carbon, total N, P, K, Na and cation exchange capacity in the soil samples collected from the study plots. There were marked differences ( P <0.01) in EC, pH and soil nutrient contents across three experimental plots. The sal stands had significant higher nutrient content ( P <0.01), particularly in the surface layer, than the fallow plot. The increase in the soil nutrient content under sal stands was probably due to the presence of trees, which were consistently adding nutrients in the form of leaf litter. Of the two sal stands, the stand 2 had relatively higher concentration of nutrient than the stand 1. The rise in soil nutrient under the sal stand 2 was attributed to higher quantity of litter deposited due to its relatively older age. Sal appeared to be a suitable species in the rehabilitation of the degraded sites, particularly with red soil. The fertility of forest soil can be improved through proper conservation of leaf litter and application of phosphate fertilizer where required.</p>