Revegetation of degraded riparian zones is often carried out with the goal of improving water quality in agricultural streams.  However, there is little information on how revegetation affects nutrient cycling in riparian soil or in streams.  We measured microbial activity (fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis), organic carbon and inorganic N in soils of three different riparian zones; a pasture stream with no riparian forest, a recently replanted riparian forest and a mature forest.  To characterise spatial variability, we collected 15 soil cores per site and analysed up to 13 vertical increments per core (maximum depth 1 m).  Measured variables decreased sharply with depth below surface at all sites.  Organic carbon content and microbial activity were greatest at the mature site and lowest at the revegetated site.  Inorganic nitrogen showed the opposite pattern, with highest concentrations at the revegetated site.  These results suggest that the nutrient processing and buffering capacity of revegetated riparian zones may be reduced following conversion from pasture, probably due to soil disturbance and an initial reduction in vegetative cover.  Future work will investigate the trajectory and timing of changes in soil condition that occur as vegetation matures by examining revegetated riparian zones of different ages.