Your uncle lives in a hilly area which gets heavy rainfall. He grows certain special crops like tea, coffee, tapioca and cashew nuts. Besides agriculture, he has a brick kiln as the area has ample raw material for making bricks. Name the area where your uncle may be residing. What type of soil is available in this area and how is it formed?
My uncle is residing in the highland areas of the Peninsular Plateau.
Laterite soil is available in this area.
Laterite soil is formed as a result of atmospheric weathering of rocks under conditions of high rainfall and temperature with alternate wet and dry periods. It is the residual soil formed by leaching due to tropical rains. Leaching or desilication is the process in which the nutrients get percolated down below the soil due to heavy rainfall; thus leaving the topsoil infertile. Due to heavy rains, lime and silica are leached away and aluminium compounds are left behind. Humus content of the soil is removed by bacteria that survives well in high temperature.