Abstract: 【Objective】 The aim of this study was to determine the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon(SOC)density in the Funiu Mountain area in Henan Province and create a regression model between SOC density and environmental factors. This will provide a theoretical reference for the rapid assessment of the spatial distribution of SOC density in forests. 【Method】Twenty-one plots were demarcated on Yuhuangding Mountain and Jijiaojian Mountain in the Funiu Mountain area based on factors such as elevation, vegetation and topography. Environmental factors such as climate, topography, vegetation and soil were investigated and the SOC densities in the plots were measured. Correlations between the SOC density and environmental factors were analyzed. 【Result】The average SOC density of forest soil was 11.52 kg/m² in 0-40 cm depth and there were no significant difference in SOC density among plots depending on location(on different mountains)and vegetation types. Topographic factors(aspect and slope)explained the spatial distribution of the SOC for plots within the same mountain but not for plots on different mountains. The SOC density was closely related to aboveground vegetation properties, and the regression model can explain 73.3% of the variability in the SOC density in all 10 coniferous plots in both mountains, 76.7% of the variability in all 11 broad-leaved plots, and 71.8% of the variability in all 21 plots. 【Conclusion】Topographic factors were closely related to the SOC density for plots within the same mountain. Vegetation properties were consistently and closely related to the SOC under both vegetation types and on different mountains. Aboveground vegetation properties can be used to estimate the SOC stocks in complex mountainous forests across different spatial scales. This suggests that measuring vegetation properties by remote sensing could represent a feasible and rapid method for estimating SOC distribution in a rugged terrain.