Abstract

In Kerala, with few exceptions of teak plantations, conversion of various types of natural forests to intensively managed tree monocultures and to few extent mixed crops, is a rather recent development. Even though numerous studies on the impact of forest management on the nature and properties of soils in plantations of different species in a composite area have been conducted elsewhere, no systematic attempt has so far been made under Kerala conditions. This paper highlights the properties of soils in plantations of different species in Trichur Forest Division, Kerala. Thirty-nine soil pits, 15 from Teak (Tectona grandis), 14 from Eucalypt (Eucalyptus tereticornis) uncoppiced, five each, from teak + Bombax (Bombax ceiba) and eucalypt coppiced plantations, depending on their extent were taken. Soil samples were collected from 0-20, 20-40, and 40-60 cm layers of soil pits. One core sample, each was also taken from 0-20 cm layer of soil pit for bulk density determination