This paper is the second part of the work presented earlier in this issue (LEMOINE et al.,1986). The aim of the first paper was to determine the biomass distribution in a young stand (16 years old) of Pinus pinaster (Ait.) situated in the S.W. of France (Landes de Gascogne) which received mineral fertilizer when planted. The results in this paper concern the distribution of major elements (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) in the same stand. Two kinds of results are presented : 1) These concerning the qualitative distribution (concentrations) of bioelements in the various components of trees. In the living crown, the distribution of elements varies with the components (branches or needles), with their age and with the relative position from the apex. Discriminant factorial analysis (DFA) gives a synthetic profile which shows the main characteristics of this distribution of the continuous vertical variation of elements (positive or negative) and the singular behaviour of the whorl situated in the middle of the crown which corresponds to the area of maximum needle production. In the trunk, the bioelement distribution is clearer and general trends are similar in the wood and in the bark. The two significant axis of DFA show a synthetic profile whose shape is linked to a general increase in element concentration with position in the trunk, and to the presence of two particular points : a minimum of concentration values at two meters from the ground and an inflexion point in the upper part of the trunk due to changes in bark concentration. Apart from considering the mean profiles, individual variations have been studied. Divergences from the general law are important and can be evaluated very well by the similarity threshold test, calculated for trees.Variance analysis shows that the composition of all the tree components has been significantly affected by the tree effect. There are some direct relationships with the trunk increments : trunk composition is related to the present trunk increment. It appears that the chemical composition of the various tree components is not controlled by the same factors. 2) A quantitative evaluation of the mineral content of the stand shows clearly that the production of dry matter in relation to the phosphorus and calcium used is highly efficient. We are now trying to model these mineral distributions to give a functional interpretation of our results. We have to verify whether the laws of nutrient distribution defined for this stand are applicable or not to other stands of different ages or in different ecological situations.