Forest Soil…………………………
· The term soil may be defined as a portion of the earth surface which serves as a medium for the substances of forest vegetation.
· A forest soil is a living, dynamic, biological unit which is always undergoing changes through forest vegetation & silvicultural treatments
· From forest law point of view, the soils of the area which are declared as forest under Govt. notification are termed as forest soils.
Characteristics of forest soil…………………………….
1. Forest soils are characterized with the presence of litter with an associated unique micro flora & fauna.
2. Root activities from the surface to the subsurface horizons are common phenomena in forest soils.
3. A forest soil is a natural or semi natural soil with well defined horizons.
4. Forest soils are characterized by higher porosity, higher permeability, more soil aggregates & greater water holding capacity.
5. In forest soil the C/N ratio is generally wide & act as decomposition occurs.
Forest soils are different from agricultural soil, because of---------
· The most fertile soil s are selected for agricultural use but forest soils are always on relatively, poor quality & less productive sites. For economic reasons, such as location, size of holding & demand of the country, forest land often has limitations such as hilly, topography, salinity, toxicity, poor drainage & shallow soil depth.
· Forest vegetation has a definite effect such as rooting effect, adding organic matter through litter fall etc, on the development of the soil for a longer period of time.
How forest soil differ from agricultural soils---------
· The main feature which distinguishes forest soil from agricultural soils is the presence of litter with an associated unique micro flora & fauna.
· A forest soil is a natural or semi natural soil with well defined horizons whereas an agricultural soil is an artificial product, lacking a pure organic horizon, but containing a disturbed plough layer.
· The depth of forest soils may vary from a few cm to several meters. In case of agricultural soils the depth about 25cm. This corresponds to the plough depth or maximum depth of root penetration of agricultural crops.
· Forest soils have higher porosity, higher permeability, more soil aggregates, greater water holding capacity & wider ratio in comparison with those agricultural soils.
· Forest soils may be any pH but most agricultural crops are suited at a pH of 6.5-7.5.
Forest soil profile………………………………..
A typical well developed forest soil profile consists of 4 horizons. These ares-----
1. Organic horizon (O)
2. Alluvial horizon (A)
3. Zone of accumulation (B)
4. Unaltered parent materials (C)
