【Objective】 Soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil total nitrogen (STN) are two key indicators of soil fertility and quality, and closely related to soil productivities of farmlands and orchards. As the largest apple producer in the world, China has orchards distributed in all the corners of the country across different climate zones, in a huge variety of soils and under different management practices. Therefore, the orchards vary sharply in spatio-temporal distribution of soil C and N between different regions. However, as for spatial distribution and dynamics of SOC and STN in the apple orchards of the coastal regions, little system study has been made and little is known about differences and commons between the orchards in inland and coastal regions. In order to optimize management of the orchards, spatial distribution and dynamics of contents and densities of SOC and STN in large-scale apple orchards typical of the coastal region were studied.【Method】A total of 488 soil samples were collected from the surface soil layers of apple orchards different in age in Jiaodong, Shandong Province, East China for analysis of SOC, STN, SOCD (soil organic carbon density), STND (soil total N density), spatial distribution of C/N ratios, and their dynamics and affecting factors. 【Result】 Results show that the average SOC and STN content in the orchards of that region was 10.80 and 1.42 g kg^-1, respectively, the average SOCD and STND was 2.81 and 0.37 kg m^-2, respectively, and the average soil C/N ratio was 7.70. Compared with the inland apple orchards located in West Liaoning, suburbs of Beijing, Weibei of Shaanxi and Ili of Xinjiang, the apple orchards in Jiaodong were generally higher in SOC and STN, but lower in C/N ratio. The apple orchards in Jiaodong are often located in temperate humid hilly areas, quite loose in soil texture, and enjoy rich hydrothermal resources, endowed by the maritime climate of the Yellow Sea. All the natural conditions, generally speaking, are favorable to accumulation of soil carbon and nitrogen. The Nugget/Sill ratio of SOC, STN, SOCD, STND and C/N was 0.432, 0.340, 0.420, 0.387 and 0.301, respectively, indicating that the spatial heterogeneity is moderate in level, as affected jointly by structural and stochastic factors in the area. The conclusion is quite consistent with that of the researches on SOC and STN in inland orchards. With the orchards established, SOC and STN appeared to be on a rising trend, but after 30 years of cultivation, SOC began to decline, while STN kept on rising, though at a slower pace. SOC and STN did not synchronize in accumulation, with C/N ratio declining first, then rising and declining again. SOC and STN in the apple orchards of Jiaodong were also affected by soil type, which is determined by its parent material and inherits certain properties of its parent materials. Moreover, the distribution of soils has its zonality, which also makes the orchards in Jiaodong different from the inland ones in SOC and STN. Terrain is only a minor factor affecting SOC and STN in the orchards of Jiaodong, which is mainly because the orchards there sit mainly on low hills and mounds, low in undulation and soil water loss. But the strong soil acidification in the orchards of Jiaodong may affect the activity of soil microbes, and in turn, the cycling of soil C and N. However, in inland orchards the soils are mostly alkaline ones, which have strong acid buffering capacity, so the impact of soil acidification is insignificant therein. 【Conclusion】The apple orchards in Jiaodong are generally high in carbon and nitrogen content and hence soil fertility and they have their own especific characteristics of spatio-temporal variation, and much higher soil C and N turnover rates and more dramatic dynamic variation, compared with inland orchards.