In Southeast Queensland, Australia, future wood production from exotic pines will rely heavily on second-rotation plantations. This increases the importance of sustaining soil fertility through logging or harvest residue retention for soil organic matter (SOM) maintenance in forest plantations. However, a greater understanding of harvest residues and their impact is essential to fully realise the potential of harvest residue management as an integral component of sustainable production forestry. Therefore, this study examined the nature of harvest residues, their decomposition and nutrient release dynamics, and the short- and long-term impacts of the residues on soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) pools, tree nutrition, growth and productivity in exotic pine plantations of Toolara State forest (26 degrees 00' South, 152 degrees 49' East), Maryborough districy, southeast Queensland.