The morphological features, chemical properties and the genesis of forest soils derived from granite and palaeozoic sedimentary rocks in KISO, central mountainous region of Japan, were studied.
Soils derived from granite are generally coarse textured, especially in steep slope areas, but on peneplain they are fine textured. They are more or less podzolised. Sandy soils on upper slopes or ridges are strongly leached, and almost all of them belong to the dry podzolic soils (PDI- PDII- PDIII- soils classified by OHMASA). Fine textured soils on peneplain are somewhat less podzolised. The soil profile characteristics of those soils, even on the same peneplain, differ from those of soils derived from Quartz-porphyry which were reported by the authors in another paper. Soils on the lower foot slope or concave mountain side slope belong to the slightly wetted brown forest soil (BE-soil) in steep slope areas, and to the wet podzolic soil (PWII-soil) in peneplain. Blackish soils which have deep, coal black A horizons, are distributed locally in the mountain side slope or lower foot slope.
Soils derived from palaeozoic sedimentary rocks (clayslate and graywacke sand stone) are very gravelly, heavy textured, and more weakly podzolised than those of other silicious rocks. Blocky or nutty structures are well developed in A and B horizons of dry soils on ridge or upper slope. The dry podzol (Pni-soil) and the iron wet podzol which have strongly leached A horizons are not found in palaeozoic rock areas. The dry brown forest soil (Bs-soil) and the slightly podzolised soil (Pnm-soil) are distibuted on the ridge or upper slope of the mountain side, and the moderately moist brown forest soil (BD-soil) and slightly wetted brown forest soil (Bs-soil) on the mountain side or lower foot slope, and they are locally slightly podzolised.