Explore: Soils Tropics

The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions

in acid soils. Soil organisms are hindered by high acidity, and most agricultural crops do best with mineral soils of pH 6.5 and organic soils of pH 5

contaminated soils. The same amount of contaminant can be toxic in one soil but totally harmless in another soil. This stresses the need for soil-specific

typical soils of coniferous and deciduous forests in cooler climates. They constitute 4% of soils worldwide. Ultisol – acid soils in the humid tropics and

soils have a pH below 7 and alkaline soils have a pH above 7. Ultra-acidic soils (pH < 3.5) and very strongly alkaline soils (pH > 9) are rare. Soil pH

Gleyzems, meadow soils, Aqu-suborders of Entisols, Inceptisols and Mollisols (USDA soil taxonomy), or as groundwater soils and hydro-morphic soils. The term

and ore mineralogy of the resulting soils. The majority of the land area containing laterites is between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Laterite has

Soil carbon is the solid carbon stored in global soils. This includes both soil organic matter and inorganic carbon as carbonate minerals. It is vital

soil age. Most tropical soils are characterized by significant leaching and poor nutrients, however there are some areas that contain fertile soils.

erosion of vulnerable soils. Rainfall, and the surface runoff which may result from rainfall, produces four main types of soil erosion: splash erosion