A kinetic method is presented for characterizing the physiological state of microorganisms capable of carrying out specific metabolic function in red soils taken from a lead-zinc mining area.The results showed that soil microbial community metabolic profiles were inhibited by mixed heavy metals pollution,exhibiting non linear correlation with the incubation time,and the shape of the color development curve was generally sigmoidal.Test well OD values over time suggested a kinetic model based on the density-dependent logistic growth equation.The kinetic parameters generated by the model can be used as surrogates for single-time-point data in constructing carbon source utilization patterns.The kinetic parameter K and r values decreased signifi cantly with level of mixed heavy metals pollution.The higher pollution degree,the lower microbial community profiles,the lower microbial metabolic processes and the microbial growth rate.Principal component analysis (PCA) single-time-point microplate data and parameters of the kinetic model showed that parameters K and s could be effectively used to differentiate degrees of heavy metal pollution in the mining zone with efficiency higher than AWCD.Change in dynamic characteristics of the microbial community functional diversity well reflects differences in model of microbial communities utilizing C sources in the soils polluted with mixed heavy metals,and change in soil microbial community functional diversity in particular eco environment like mining zones,thus revealing to some extent functional mechanism of microbial communities in environment under heavy metal stress.