Acid soils cover 3950 m ha, or one-third of the world’s ice-free territory. These soils are the product of either ustic or udic moisture regimes and are mostly found in two global regions. The northern belt (cold and moderate climate) is dominated by spodosols, alfisols, Oxisols, and histosols, whereas the southern tropical belt is dominated by Ultisols and Oxisols. Around 18% of acid soils are made up of savanna, grassland, and steppe flora in addition to 67% of acid soils supporting forests and woods. Just 4.5% of the total land (179 m ha) is utilised for crop cultivation due to corrosive soil. Tropical perennial crops are grown on an additional 33 million hectares. Whatever efforts are made to develop acid soils for agriculture and agroforestry in tropical climates should concentrate on the deforested and abandoned areas with damaged acid soils. This will be difficult without a large initial expenditure and the right technologies. A three-pronged development approach is proposed to help prevent or lessen the yearly devastation of over 5 million hectares of tropical forests caused by “untraditional shifting cultivators.” It would help protect the fragile natural ecosystems on acidic tropical soils, which are currently believed to be necessary for the survival of life as we know it. Acid sulphate soilsAcid sulphate soils are considered the “nastiest soils on earth” due to their high acidity, increased mobility of potentially dangerous components, and limited nutrient absorption. Although they account for a very small percentage of all issue soils worldwide, they often have detrimental consequences on local aquaculture, agriculture, and the environment. They are often seen in heavily populated locations along the beaches of several developing countries. Acrisols and ferralsolsAcrisols and ferralsols, two types of tropical and subtropical soils, are found in older, densely wooded environments. They are usually yellowish to reddish in colour, heavily worn, and severely leached. The hydrolysis of silicate minerals and the quick removal of weathering products lead to low pH and low amounts of weathered product in the soil solutionSoil solution. More ferralsols and acrisols are found on older land surfaces in humid tropical settings. On gently sloping Tertiary and Pleistocene erosion surfaces that have experienced several cycles of weathering, erosion, and deposition, they can be discovered. The principal habitat of ferralsols is the wet tropical regions, covering an estimated 745 million hectares worldwide. Mostly, they are found on the continental shields of Central Africa and South America. Only areas with easily weathered basic rock and hot, humid climates outside of continental shields, such as Southeast Asia and a few Pacific Islands, are home to ferralsols.

Global Status and Extent of Acid Soils

章节
发表日期：

2025年

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U. C. Sharma,
M. Datta,
Vikas Sharma

摘要

Acid soils cover 3950 m ha, or one-third of the world’s ice-free territory. These soils are the product of either ustic or udic moisture regimes and are mostly found in two global regions. The northern belt (cold and moderate climate) is dominated by spodosols, alfisols, Oxisols, and histosols, whereas the southern tropical belt is dominated by Ultisols and Oxisols. Around 18% of acid soils are made up of savanna, grassland, and steppe flora in addition to 67% of acid soils supporting forests and woods. Just 4.5% of the total land (179 m ha) is utilised for crop cultivation due to corrosive soil. Tropical perennial crops are grown on an additional 33 million hectares. Whatever efforts are made to develop acid soils for agriculture and agroforestry in tropical climates should concentrate on the deforested and abandoned areas with damaged acid soils. This will be difficult without a large initial expenditure and the right technologies. A three-pronged development approach is proposed to help prevent or lessen the yearly devastation of over 5 million hectares of tropical forests caused by “untraditional shifting cultivators.” It would help protect the fragile natural ecosystems on acidic tropical soils, which are currently believed to be necessary for the survival of life as we know it. Acid sulphate soilsAcid sulphate soils are considered the “nastiest soils on earth” due to their high acidity, increased mobility of potentially dangerous components, and limited nutrient absorption. Although they account for a very small percentage of all issue soils worldwide, they often have detrimental consequences on local aquaculture, agriculture, and the environment. They are often seen in heavily populated locations along the beaches of several developing countries. Acrisols and ferralsolsAcrisols and ferralsols, two types of tropical and subtropical soils, are found in older, densely wooded environments. They are usually yellowish to reddish in colour, heavily worn, and severely leached. The hydrolysis of silicate minerals and the quick removal of weathering products lead to low pH and low amounts of weathered product in the soil solutionSoil solution. More ferralsols and acrisols are found on older land surfaces in humid tropical settings. On gently sloping Tertiary and Pleistocene erosion surfaces that have experienced several cycles of weathering, erosion, and deposition, they can be discovered. The principal habitat of ferralsols is the wet tropical regions, covering an estimated 745 million hectares worldwide. Mostly, they are found on the continental shields of Central Africa and South America. Only areas with easily weathered basic rock and hot, humid climates outside of continental shields, such as Southeast Asia and a few Pacific Islands, are home to ferralsols.