1. Tropical Red Soils

3. Continuous leaf fall in the forest throughout the year giving a thick layer of plant litter
Rapidly broken down by organisms and humid conditions
High temperatures encourage chemical action causing bed rock to break down
Weathering breaks down iron oxide giving it a reddish colour
Soil is heavily leached due to heavy rainfall

5. Under normal conditions tropical red soils are very fertile
When forest are cut down they lose their source of humus
Heavy rains leach any remaining nutrients
Soil is eventually washed away

6. Natural Vegetation and Soil

7. Soil influences vegetation
Soil influences vegetation by its ability to retain water
Fertile soils have many nutrients including nitrogen, calcium and potash
Acidic soils lack lime, this limits the amount of vegetation they can support
Deep soils support vegetation with long roots such as ash, oak and pine

8. Vegetation influences soil
Vegetation provides the plant litter to form humus
Vegetation reduces the effects of leaching
Vegetation cover slows down or prevents soil erosion as the roots bind the soil together

9. Junior Certificate exam questions
Describe the influence of climate in the development of tropical red soils
Describe one way in which soil influences vegetation and one way vegetation influences soil