Describe the features of Arid soils and Forest soils. Mention the places where they are found in India
(1) Arid soils : Features They range from red to brown in colour. They are generally sandy in texture and saline in nature, In some areas the salt content is very high and common salt is obtained by evaporating the water. Due to the dry climate, high temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil lacks humus and moisture, The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by kankar because of increasing calcium content downward These soils can become cultivable if irrigation facilities are made available as has been in the case of western Rajasthan. Places : These soils are found in arid areas of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. (2) Forest soils : Features : They are found in mountainous area, They are loamy and silty in valley slides and coarse grained in the upper slopes, In the snow covered areas of the Himalayas they are acidic with low humus content. Places : They are found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain forests are available. These places are Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The soils found in the lower parts of the valleys particularly on the river terraces and alluvial fans are fertile.
