【Objective】In the central and northeastern parts of China (excluding the eastern part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), coal mining has caused extensive land subsidence, thus leading to land damage and soil degradation, which in turn seriously affects grain production, and intensifies conflicts between people and land. The aim of this study was to explore mechanisms for soil nutrients, for instance, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), migrating and transforming in coal mining subsidence slopes, and to provide certain scientific basis for comprehensive management of eco-environment in the mining areas. 【Method】The cultivated land and forest land in a coal mining subsidence, low in phreatic water level and typical of Jiulishan mining region in Jiaozuo City, Henan Province, China, were selected as object of the study. Soil samples were collected from soil layers (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm, 30-40 cm and 40～50 cm) of soil profiles distributed in different slope positions (center, bottom, middle, top and control) and lands different in land use for analysis of total contents and availabilities of N, P and K, and further for spatial variability of the indices. 【Result】It was found that in terms of nutrient spatial variability on the slope, the three soil nutrients followed an order of available P (118%) > available N (69%) > total N (41%) > available K (27%) > total P (19%) > total K (4%). Compared with the cultivated land, the forest land lowered significantly (P<0.001) in soil total P and available P, but ascended significantly (P<0.001) in soil available K. Along the subsidence slope, availabilities of soil N and K in the cultivated land was the highest at the depressed in the bottom of the slope, while that of soil P in cracky areas at the top of the slope. However, in the forest land on the slope, availabilities of soil N, P and K were the highest in the depressed zone at the bottom of the slope, and the lowest in the middle slope zone. The high spatial variability of soil nutrient availability therein could be explained by the following; 1) loss of dissolved organic N and available K from cultivated soils with surface runoff; 2) cracks enhancing soil redox potential in the farmland, thus promoting release of soil P; 3) translocation of available K with vertical leaching in the depressed zone at the bottom of the slope. 【Conclusion】Therefore, it is suggested that the land in such coal mining subsidence, low in phreatic water level, should be reclaimed in light of the rules of migration and transformation of soil nutrients and soil water relative to position along the subsidence slope. The cracky area on the top of the slope, the middle slope and the depressed at the bottom of the slope should be reclaimed into high-yield cultivated land or vegetable gardens, shrubbery and economic forest or orchard, respectively, so as to realize sustainable soil management and the goal of cost-minimizing input in land reclamation of coal mining subsidence.