# Latosol

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{{Short description|Soil type}}
'''Latosols''', also known as '''tropical red earth''', are soils found under [tropical rainforest](/source/tropical_rainforest)s which have a relatively high content of [iron](/source/Iron_oxide) and [aluminium oxide](/source/aluminium_oxide)s. They are typically classified as [oxisol](/source/oxisol)s ([USDA soil taxonomy](/source/USDA_soil_taxonomy)) or [ferralsol](/source/ferralsol)s ([World Reference Base for Soil Resources](/source/World_Reference_Base_for_Soil_Resources)).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Delvaux|first1=B.|last2=Brahy|first2=V.|title=Mineral Soils conditioned by a Wet (Sub)Tropical Climate|url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/y1899e/y1899e08a.htm|publisher=FAO|accessdate=14 June 2014}}</ref> Latosols are tropical soils, but not all soils in the tropics are latosolic.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sanchez|first1=P.A.|last2=Logan|first2=T.J.|chapter=Myths and science about the chemistry and fertility of soils of the tropics|editor1-last=Lal, R |editor2=Sanchez, P.{{nbsp;}}A.|title=Myths and Science of Soils of the Tropics|date=1992|publisher=Soil Science Society of America|location=Madison, Wisconsin|page=36|chapter-url=http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pnabp506.pdf|accessdate=14 June 2014}}</ref> Latosols are red or yellowish-red in colour throughout and they do not have distinct [horizons](/source/Soil_horizon) like a [podsol](/source/podsol). The red colour comes from the [iron oxide](/source/iron_oxide)s in the soil. They are deep soils, often extending {{cvt|20–30|m}} deep whereas podsols are {{cvt|1–2|m}} deep.

The soil generally contains a thin but very fertile layer of [humus](/source/humus) dropped from plants and animals in the forest above, followed by an infertile second layer due to rapid [leaching](/source/leaching_(pedology)) caused by high rainfall. The third level, [weathered](/source/Weathering) [bedrock](/source/bedrock), is common to almost all soil types.

The latosol is completely reliant on the rainforest to maintain fertility, as all nutrients leach away quickly when the forest is felled and the layer of humus is no longer being replaced.

== See also ==
* [Red soil](/source/Red_soil)

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{cite book|author=Various|title=GCSE Geography AQA A Specification: The Revision Guide|year=2009|publisher=CGP}}
*{{citation|first1=Gore |last1=Uehara |first2=Gavin |last2=Gillman |title=Mineralogy Chemistry and Physics of Tropical Soils With Variable Charge Colloids |series=Westview Tropical Agriculture Series |year=1981}}

{{Soil type}}

Category:Pedology
Category:Types of soil
Category:Soil science

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