some main features of Alluvial, black, red and yellow, laterite, arid, forest soil and write its main features.
Answers
Black soil- It consists of large amount of clay and humus and is formed from basic rocks like basalt and in places of lava deposits. This type of soil is suitable for cotton cultivation. In India, it is found in the Deccan Plateau region.
Red Soil- This type of soil is rich in iron oxide content that fives it a reddish tinge. It is formed by breakdown of igneous and metamorphic rocks. THis type of soil is also found in the Deccan Plateau region in India. It is also known as yellow soil.
Laterite soil- This type of soil is rich in alumunium and iron content and is formed in wet and tropical areas. It is formed through the process of tropical weathering or leaching. The ions formed as a result of hydrolysis during leaching are brought to surface and form salt compounds which are washed away by rains. This soil is not very fertile.
Arid soil- This type of soil is sandy and saline and is found in arid regions, particularly deserts. The soil lacks humus and moisture due to dry climate and rapid evaporation. The calcium content in this type of soil increases downwards.
Forest soil- It is rich in dead organic matter and humus content caused by their decomposition. Thus, the soil is rich in nutrients.
1. Alluvial Soils
Formation: They are mainly derived from the debris brought down from the Himalayas or the silt left out by the retreating sea. Thus they are azonal soils.
Areas: Alluvial soils are widespread in the northern plains and the river valleys. Through a narrow corridor in Rajasthan, they extend into the plains of Gujarat. In the Peninsular region, they are found in deltas of the east coast and in the river valleys.
Soil texture: The alluvial soils vary in nature from sandy loam to clay. These soils are more loamy and clayey in the lower and middle Ganga plain and the Brahmaputra valley. The sand content decreases from the west to east.
Soil Colour: The colour of the alluvial soils varies from the light grey to ash grey depending on the depth of the deposition, the texture of the materials, and the time taken for attaining maturity.
Limitations:
Allow water to sink into lower strata, and
Lack nitrogen (But these soils are capable of fixing nitrogen very rapidly through leguminous crops (peas, beans, cloves etc.)
Suitable Crops: Wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, leguminous crops.
2. Black Soil
These soils are locally known as the ‘Regur Soil’ or the ‘Black Cotton Soil’. Internationally, these are known as ‘tropical chernozems’. These soils are famous for the cultivation of cotton.
Formation: These have mainly formed from the Deccan Trap rocks —> Zonal Soils
Areas: These are found in the Deccan trap region. Black soil covers most of the Deccan Plateau which includes parts of:
Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh,
Gujarat,
Andhra Pradesh and some parts of
Tamil Nadu.
Soil Texture: Black cotton soil (regur soil) is highly argillaceous i.e. clayey. It is deep and impermeable and thus has high water retention capacity.
Soil Colour: These soils are black in colour due to the presence of iron, aluminium compounds and humus.
Suitable Crops: These soils are highly productive and well suited to the cultivation of cotton, pulses, millets, linseed, tobacco, sugarcane, vegetables and citrus fruits.
Note: In the southern and eastern parts of the country where rainfall is heavy, black soils often occur in close proximity to red soils. Black soils occupy valleys and low-level areas whereas the red soils occur on higher slopes and hill tops. Mixed black and red soils occur in Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) and Bundelkhand region.
3. Red and Yellow Soils
Locally called ‘Chalka’ in Andhra Pradesh.
Formation: These are derived from granites, gneisses and other metamorphic rocks —> Zonal Soils. These are formed under well-drained conditions.
Areas: Along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghat, a long stretch of area is occupied by red loamy soil. Yellow and red soils are also found in parts of Orissa and Chattisgarh and in the southern parts of the middle Ganga plain. They encircle the black cotton soil zone.
Soil Colour: The soil develops a reddish colour due to a wide diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form. Often, their upper layer is red and the lower layer is yellow.
Soil Texture: Varies from sand to clay and loam.
4. Laterite Soil
The word laterite has been derived from the Latin word ‘Later’ which means brick. These soils when wet are as soft as butter but become hard and cloddy on drying. Therefore, these are widely cut as bricks for use in house construction.
Formation: The lateritic soils are particularly found on high flat erosion surfaces in areas of high(>200cm) and seasonal rainfall. The alternating wet and dry seasons lead to the leaching away of the siliceous matter of the rocks leaving behind the compounds of iron and aluminium. These are zonal soils.
Areas: These soils have mainly developed in the higher areas of the Peninsular plateau. The laterite soils are commonly found in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and the hilly areas of Orissa and Assam.
Soil Colour: Reddish brown in colour due to the presence of iron oxide.