Source Year: 1996

A comparison of soil properties at 0-100cm depth was made in Kerala along a transect in a lowland west coast tropical evergreen forest and adjacent Eucalyptus tereticornis and rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations. All the soils were moderately acidic (average pH 5.4, 5.8 and 6.0, respectively, in the evergreen forest and eucalyptus and rubber plantations). Organic carbon, water holding capacity, cation excahnge capacity, N and P were all highest in the evergreen forest and reduced in the plantations, with the lowest values under eucalyptus. There was significant difference in soil properties due to vegetational types. The results revealed that soils in the eucalyptus plantations were very much depleted and this could affect future productivity of successive rotations.