The relationships between soil properties, topography and tree species distribution were analysed in a tropical riverine forest at the margins of the Rio Grande, in Bom Sucesso, state of Minas Gerais, south–eastern Brazil. The forest was sampled by three 0.18 ha plots, with each plot made up of eight contiguous 15m X 15m quadrats, four of which were placed at the river margin and the remaining four in the forest interior. A canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the species density distribution was significantly correlated with some soil chemical characteristics and topographical features. The soils of the three sample plots showed statistically significant differences for the levels of Ca, Mg, K and pH, with the fertility (expressed by the cation exchange capacity) increasing from Plot I to Plot III. These variations were mainly explained by the first canonical axis while the second was strongly correlated with topographical variables, separating the quadrats into two groups: those of the higher and steeper sites from those of the lower sites. The only soil property that was significantly different in lower and upper sites was the concentration of phosphorus. No significant difference in tree species distribution was found between river margin and interior quadrats, certainly because this forest sector lies on the outer side of a curve of the river where erosion is currently building high and steep river banks and forcing the forest to retreat. A tentative ecological classification of the 30 most abundant species according to their habitat preference in terms of soil fertility and topographical sites, and to their growth strategy in the forest dynamics, is presented. It is suggested that these factors play an important role in promoting the coexistence of tree species in this type of forest. © 1994, Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved.