Eleven soils in northern Tasmania formed on sandstone, granite and dolerite under dry and wet eucalypt forests are described. Soils formed on similar substrates but under differing forest types show significant differences in profile morphology and chemical properties, and this has important implications for forest management. Soils under wet forest (dominated by Eucalyptus obliqua and/or E. regnans, with E. delegatensis often dominant above about 400 m altitude) generally occur at higher altitudes with higher mean annual rainfall (>1000 mm) than corresponding soils under dry forest. They are mainly characterized by gradational texture profiles, moderate or high levels of organic matter and nutrients, low or moderate susceptibility to soil degradation and high site productivity. In contrast, soils under dry forest (dominated by E. obliqua and E. amygdalina, with E. viminalis often dominant) typically have texture-contrast profiles, low levels of organic matter and nutrients, low site productivity, and are susceptible to various forms of soil degradation.