This paper presents research results on physical and chemical properties of soils under some vegetation types at Vay Nua commune, Da Bac district, Hoa Binh province. Soil samples were taken from soil surface to 30 cm in depth within 18 temporally permanent forest plots setting up under seven vegetation types (natural forests of rich, medium, poor status
Acacia mangium and Dendrocalamus membranceus Munro plantation forests, grassland and bush land) with the forest cover ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 and litter fall from 1.21 to 18.0 tons per ha. At the same slope level of 15 - 25°, soils under different vegetation types have distinct characteristics of acidity (pHsct = 3.86 .4.19), porosity (48.48 - 56.0 percent), initial water permeability (5.7 - 14.6 mm/min), humus content (1.6 - 1.97 percent), nitrogen content (0.09 - 0.13 percent), other soluble substances (N = 1.46 - 4.5 mg/100 g soil
P = 0.96 - 2.51 mg/100 g soil
K = 1.67 - 9.73 mg/100 g soil) and C/N (7.11 - 9.54). In general, all above values are more or less dependent on the structure of the vegetation types: tree species, tree composition, tree cover and litter fall amount. The results show that the chemical properties of the soils in this area are mainly of poor nutrient contents and high acidity and consequently cause negative impacts on growth and development of trees, decrease productivity and yield of plantation forests, as well as affect social and economic lives of local people.