We studied chemical and mineralogical properties of four soil profiles at lower elevations of Mts. Shirakami. These soils are located in the area where Brown forest soils are assumed to be dominant according to literature. Morphological properties of the four soils were characteristic of Brown forest soils. But bulk densities of the soils were lower than those of ordinary Brown forest soils. Not only A horizons but B horizons contained large amounts of organic carbon. Most soil samples showed strong to moderate acidity (pH(H_2O) 4.6-5.3). The amounts of exchangeable basic cations in most mineral horizons were extremely small and KCl-extractable Al was the dominant exchangeable cation. The results of selective dissolution analyses using pyrophosphate and acid oxalate solutions showed that there is no severe eluviation of aluminum and iron in all the soil profiles, though slight migration of aluminum to lower horizons were observed. Although only one A horizon contained expandable 2:1 minerals that are common to most Spodosols, 2:1 minerals in the other soil horizons were remarkably chloritized. Most soil horizons of the four pedons possessed andic soil properties. A large amount of Al-humus complexes accumulated in the upper soil horizons and allophonic clays were formed in the lower horizons. Although the pedons in this study were classified as Brown forest soils according to Classification of Forest Soil in Japan, they were classified as Andisols and Andosols according to Soil Taxonomy and World Reference Base for Soil Resources, respectively
