Tropical Rainforest Characteristics Soil
The soil is thin and poor in nutrients.
Tropical rainforest characteristics soil. Soils remained slightly alkaline pH 7475 with higher concentrations of calcium magnesium and potassium than in acid soils of older rainforests. The soils of tropical rainforests are characterized by rapid recycling of fallen leaves and other organic matter due to the large biomass of the rainforest. Millions of years of weathering have washed most of the nutrients out of the soil.
High animal and vegetal biodiversity. Some soils are also exposed. Climatic conditions in tropical rainforests have an average of 27 degrees annually and an average rainfall of approximately 200cm with a permanently high humidity.
The top layer is made up of a thin layer of mulch like substance layered in organic matter from animals above it. Most of the soil is not very fertile. Conducted in a natural tropical rainforest at Bukit Baka Experimental Catchment Central Kalimantan Indonesia.
The last layer of soil is made up of rock and this makes up the majority of the soils content almost half. The type of clay particles present in tropical rainforest soil has a poor ability to trap nutrients and stop them from washing away. This high rate of decomposition is the result of phosphorus levels in the soils precipitation high temperatures and the extensive microorganism communities.
In the Amazon tropical rainforest the soil are mostly several metres deep. The second level which in also semi small is called the Topsoil this layer of soil is semi poor in nutrients because of plants growing above them taking in all the nutrients as it is produced. Characteristics of the tropical forest.
During the 100 million years rain wash the minerals of the soil out which make the soil acidic and poor in nutrients. Characteristics of soils in the tropical rainforest biome of Biosphere 2 after 3 years. Very high annual rainfall high average temperatures nutrient-poor soil and high levels of biodiversity species richness.