Rhizosphere is a place where matters exchange and energy transfers concentratedly between soil and plants. In the rhizosphere, there are abundant organic ligands, of which the influence on copper adsorption by soils with permanent and variable charges have not yet been fully understood. Four soils (Yellow cinnamon soil, yellow brown soil, red soil and latosol), which were sampled from Hubei, Hunan and Hainan provinces, representing soils with permanent and variable charges, were used for invest igating effects of organic acids on copper adsorption. The batch adsorption technique was employed in the experi ments. The purpose of the study was to compare differences in copper adsorption between two types of soils with permanent and variable charges in the presence of organic acids so as to provide knowledge of copper uptake by plants. Results indicate that the adsorption of tartrate on the soils was dependent on the soil properties and tartrate concentration. In terms of maximum adsorption, the four soils were in a decreasing order of yellow cinnamon soil> yellow brown soil> red soil> latosol. The adsorption of organic ligands might result in increase in surface negat ive charges of soils, and the magnitude of the increase of the variable charge soils was greater than that of the permanent charge soils. The presence of organic acids increased the copper adsorption at lower concentrations, but decreased at higher ones. A peak appeared at a specific point of organic acid concentration. The point moved up higher with the intensification of variable charge properties of the soils. Moreover, secondary adsorption of copper after organic acids were adsorbed increased more remarkably in variable charge soil than in permanent charge soils. These results demonstrate that heavy metals might have different forms and fates in rhizospheres of the two soils different in charge properties due to difference in surface chemical behavior.