Abstract

A study was carried out to evaluate the nature and properties of soils in the natural forests of Trivandrum Forest Division, Kerala. Ten soil pits, three each from evergreen and semievergreen and four from moist deciduous were taken. Samples from 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm layers of soils pits were collected. Also, one core sample from 0-20 cm layer was taken for bulk density determination. Analyses were carried out for particle-size separates, pH, organic carbon, exchangeable bases and exchange acidity. Soils are sandy loam and strongly acidic in all layers in evergreen and in the surface two layers in semievergreen while in the 40-60 cm in the latter, they are loam and very strongly acidic. In moist deciduous, soils are loamy sand and strongly acidic in the surface, loam and very strongly acidic in deeper two layers. Organic carbon and exchangeable bases decrease with depth, the former in all ecosystems and the latter in evergreen and semievergreen. In moist deciduous, no