Abstract:To understand the spatial variations of pedogenetic characteristics and formation processes of mountain meadow soils in subtropical regions of China, 20 representative mountain meadow soil profiles were collected from Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan and Guizhou provinces. Morphological characteristics of the soil profiles were observed in detail, and the particle composition, content of organic matter, CEC, acidity, forms of iron oxide and the type of clay minerals of the soils were characterized. Their types in Chinese Soil Taxonomy were determined according to diagnostic horizons and diagnostic characteristics of the soils. The results showed that the accumulation of organic matter in surface horizons of the soils was very obvious, and their color was generally black and dark brown with low brightness and chroma. Acidification of the soils was great and the free degree of iron oxide in the soils was mostly less than 40%, while soil CEC was relative higher. However, there were great differences in soil thickness, profile configuration, clayization, vertical distribution of organic matter, iron oxide content, clay mineral type, and diagnostic horizons and diagnostic characteristics among the soils. There were four types of soil configurations, i.e, Ah-C, Ah-Bw-C Ah- Bt-C and Ah-G-C. According to the diagnostic criteria of the Chinese Soil Taxonomy, the studied 20 soil profiles could be divided into 5 soil orders, i.e, Isohumosols, Gleyosls, Argosols, Cambosols and Primosols, and were further divided into 6 suborders, 10 soil types and 15 subtypes.