In sequences of grassland soils on south-facing slopes and forested soils on north-facing slopes in southern British Columbia, pH decreased but C, N, and organic phosphorus (Po) increased with increase in elevation from 1800 to 7400 ft. At the highest elevations grassland and forested soils contained similar amounts of C, N, and Po. The surface horizons of grassland soils at the lowest elevations contained C and N in similar amount to forested soils between 4000 and 5000 ft. C, N, and Po decreased with depth in all profiles but the amount of H2SO4-soluble inorganic P (Pa) increased to its highest percentage of the total, up to 98%, in the parent materials. Although both C/N and C/Po ratios decreased with depth, the values for C/Po were not high and indicated that inorganic phosphorus supply is not limiting the accumulation of P in the soil organic matter. These properties were interpreted as the effects of climate, modified by elevation, aspect, and vegetation, on weakly weathered parent materials.