Our analyses showed that soil biogeochemistry could distinguish two forest ecosystems that coexist in Quebec: open lichen woodlands and closed-canopy black spruce–moss forests. Variations in carbon stocks, base cation concentrations and crystallinity of aluminium and iron were related to the different vegetation covers. This research was carried out as a first step to identify geochemical indicators of canopy cover types that could be useful in further palaeoecological studies.