Soils and Nutrient Cycling - Rainforest Soil

Soils and Nutrient Cycling
Rhett A. Butler
Mongabay.com

SOILS and NUTRIENT CYCLING IN THE RAINFOREST
Understanding the basic composition of forest soils helps explain the concept of nutrient cycling in the rainforest; why there are problems with clearing rainforest lands for agriculture; and how soils are an important factor influencing forest complexity.

Over two-thirds of the world's rainforests, and three-fourths of the Amazonian rainforest can be considered "wet-deserts" in that they grow on red and yellow clay-like laterite soils which are acidic and low in nutrients.

Please visit the website for the rest of the article.