Objective Soil quality is a critical indicator of ecosystem health and sustainable land management.Methods Key soil quality indicators (e.g., organic matter, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, capillary porosity, and pH) were identified through principal component analysis (PCA), and the soil quality index (SQI) of five typical artificial forest types in the Dianchi Lake Basin was evaluated using the minimum dataset (MDS) method.Results 1) Cyclobalanopsis glauca (CG) and Pinus yunnanensis (PY) forests exhibited significantly higher soil quality than Eucalyptus plantations. CG showed the greatest water retention capacity, while PY had outstanding performance in nutrient supply and fertility maintenance. Mixed forests had the highest organic matter and available nitrogen contents, showing strong nutrient accumulation potential. Shrub forests demonstrated moderate soil quality, with organic matter and total nitrogen levels between that of mixed forests and Eucalyptus plantations. In contrast, Eucalyptus plantations had the lowest SQI, highlighting the adverse effects of monoculture on soil structure and nutrient cycling. 2) Stratified analysis showed that PY had the highest SQI in the surface layer (0—20 cm), CG performed best in the subsurface layer (20—40 cm), while CG and mixed forests were superior in the deep layer (40—60 cm). The average SQI values ranked in the order of CG (0.60) > PY (0.54) > mixed forest (0.47) > shrub forest (0.33) > Eucalyptus plantation (0.20). 3) MDS results showed a strong correlation with the Total Dataset (TDS) (R²=0.69), confirming the method's effectiveness for soil quality assessment.Conclusion The study can provide scientific guidance for soil management in the Dianchi Lake Basin. Mixed planting of CG and PY in water conservation areas is recommended, and management of Eucalyptus plantation should be improved to restore soil quality.