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Essay about Types of Soil in Malaysia

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TYPES OF SOIL IN MALAYSIA
Soil is a natural resource that is vital for living things. Soil is defined as an incoherent mineral and organic material that works as a natural element for the survival of living things. Retallack et al. (1984) proposed that soil is a “material at the surface of a planet or similar body, altered in place by physical chemical or biological agencies, or by a combination of them” (p. 7). Malaysia’s average temperature ranges from 20 degree Celsius to 30 degree Celsius with rainfall generally distributed throughout the year. Lim and Samah (2004) mentioned that soil is formed efficiently in Malaysia due to Malaysia’s climate and temperature. Tay (1969) supports that efficient rainfall distribution contributed to soil …show more content…

Thus, these three factors are related and play important roles to sustain the nutrients in Histosols content. Histosols can be found in lowland areas with heavy rainfall, shallow lakes or tidal flat areas that are majorly accumulated by plant residues. Poorly decomposed and drained of soils are commonly known as peats. Meanwhile the well-decomposed Histosols are often drained for specialized farming and plantation known as mucks. This type of soil is only suitable for certain types of crop that are able to adapt with excessive water supplies. High agriculture productivity can be obtained with good drainage and management of Histosols. The plantation of crops such as oil palm, pineapples, banana and sago plants are best adapted crops in histosol soil with shallow rooting and fibrous root system. The order distribution of Histosol within Malaysia is viewed through major crops grown in Perak, Kedah, Johor, Selangor and widely in Sarawak. Examples of crops that are dominantly growing in Histosols are cocoa, paddy, rubber, oil palm and pineapples. Rydin and Jeglum (2006) identifies the type of vegetation that adapts to quality of Histosols is mixed swamp forest which slowly degrades into light monotonous forest which comprises of only a few tree species. The second type of soils in Malaysia is Oxisols. Wambeke (1992) stated that “Oxisols are soils that carry the marks of strong weathering and desilication in humid,

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