FOREST TYPES AND SOIL CHARACTERISTICS – A REVIEW

The differences in vegetation types imparted differences in soil properties. Forests and forest soils play a broad, complex and important interactive role within the environment. Forests have been the primary source to rejuvenate productivity of land by improving soil health through the action of root system and addition of organic matter through litter fall. Results of various research studies conducted under different forest ecosystems in India and abroad revealed that the decomposition of forest litter and recycling of nutrients made soil physico-chemical and biological properties favorable for plant growth. Evaluation of soil properties under different forest covers revealed profound impact on soil health. The pressure on limited forest resources is inevitable with fast growing human &livestock population, the area under forests is dwindling and also they are getting denuded/ degraded. Establishment of forest covers of suitable tree species on marginal, sub-marginal, waste/degraded lands could be a very effective and eco-friendly way of improving/reclaiming these scarce and problem land resources and also increasing area under forests. This paper undertakes a selective review of published work on the influences of different forest types on soil properties and therefore is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive in its cover age.