Soil erosion was studied in newly planted cash crop tree plantations and rehabilitated bamboo forests in China. Different planting methods and intercropping affected soil erosion levels. Planting on broad terraces caused less erosion than strip or hole preparation. Intercropping initially increased erosion but decreased after four years. Bamboo forests had low erosion levels, especially after the first year of rehabilitation. Harvesting bamboo shoots in winter increased erosion. To reduce erosion, it is recommended to use broad terraces for planting cash crop trees and to adopt measures like contour digging and ground covering with weeds for bamboo forest rehabilitation.