The data used in this paper are obtained from 13 selective soil profiles and wea thered parent rocks which were collected from Taoyuan county in northern Hunan province.A discussion is made on the content of elements,profile differentiation and element loss by eluviation and accumulation of elements of main soil groups.The main soil groups in this area are roughly distinguished into four geochemical types on the basis of their difference in geochemical characteristics,namely,Relic carbonated,Weakly ferallitic,Ferallitic,and old ferallitic types.Yellow-red earth as a tonal soil is characterized by bioclimatic and geochemical properties in this region.The remarkable eluviation of base,Si,Zn and Ni,accumulation of Fe,Al,Mn,Co,Cu,and Cr,and marked differentiation of elements in profile significantly reflect the geochemical characteristics in the formation of this soil,and according to its geoehemical characteristics,this soil is regarded as the ferallitie type in soil-geoche-mieal classification.Of course,there are various soils of different geochemical types in this area on the basis of different processes of soil formation.Therefore,it is of great significance to take the geochemical characteristics into consideration for classification and amelioration of soils.