Transcript Tropical Red Soils - Geography WebSite of Beech Hill

Tropical Red Soils
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Continuous leaf fall in the forest throughout the year
giving a thick layer of plant litter
Rapidly broken down by organisms and humid
conditions
High temperatures encourage chemical action causing
bed rock to break down
Weathering breaks down iron oxide giving it a reddish
colour
Soil is heavily leached due to heavy rainfall
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Under normal conditions tropical red soils are very
fertile
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When forest are cut down they lose their source of
humus
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Heavy rains leach any remaining nutrients
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Soil is eventually washed away
Natural Vegetation and Soil
Soil influences vegetation
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Soil influences vegetation by its ability to retain water
Fertile soils have many nutrients including nitrogen,
calcium and potash
Acidic soils lack lime, this limits the amount of
vegetation they can support
Deep soils support vegetation with long roots such as
ash, oak and pine
Vegetation influences soil
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Vegetation provides the plant litter to form humus
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Vegetation reduces the effects of leaching
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Vegetation cover slows down or prevents soil erosion as
the roots bind the soil together
Junior Certificate exam
questions
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Describe the influence of climate in the development
of tropical red soils
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Describe one way in which soil influences vegetation
and one way vegetation influences soil