SOIL CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN A NATURAL FOREST AND ADJACENT EXOTIC PLANTATIONS IN KERALA, INDIA

Abstract

A comparison of soil properties along a transect in an evergreen forest and adjacent eucalypt and rubber plantations was made in Kerala, India. The soils in the evergreen forest and plantations were moderately acidic and those in the former had higher organic carbon, water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, total N and P. There was significant difference in soil properties due to vegetational types. The results revealed that soils in the eucalypt plantations were very much depleted and this could affect future productivity of successive rotations.