Soils of South America: a map of characteristic types and a brief description of the specifics

South America has many zonal soil types in which a variety of crops grow. This is due to the geographical location of the continent and the peculiarities of its development. The soils of South America are characterized by a different composition. Because of this, they are actively used in agriculture. But when growing cultivated plants, it is worth considering a number of features.

Soil specifics

The soil cover of South America is characterized by the following distinctive features:

large length of the continent along the meridian;
the presence of a mountain barrier along the western coasts - this is due to the moistening of the nearby plains;
prevalence of eastern moisture transfer from the Atlantic Ocean, which is typical for the equatorial part, tropical and subtropical zones;
distribution of the oldest leveling surfaces in the equatorial and tropical zones;
presence of alluvial plains in the subtropical part of the mainland;
active volcanic activity in the Andes;
presence of moist equatorial forests.

What soils are typical for America

Depending on the nature of the climate, the placement of soil belts on the map has several types:

equatorial and tropical formations - fall on the northern regions;
subtropical and moderately cold formations - elongated from the northern part to the south;
desert areas;
Andes.

A distinctive feature of the South American soil cover is that it does not form continuous homogeneous areas, as is typical for glaciers and loess plains in North America and Europe.

Almost the entire Amazon lowland is occupied by evergreen equatorial forests. They grow on lateritic, often podzolized soil types. These types of soil are characterized by the process of podzolization in the upper fragments of the horizon and allitization in the lower ones. Such types of soil are characterized by low power and contain few nutrients.

The litter products that constantly enter the soil decompose rapidly in a uniformly hot and humid climate and are immediately absorbed by plants. They simply do not have time to accumulate in the ground.

On the eastern plains and plateaus there are different types of savannas and light forests. They grow in red, red-brown or red-brown soil. These types of soils are characterized by the process of allitization. But its severity is gradually decreasing.

The red and red-brown soil of tropical woodlands and savannahs is characterized by a high content of humus. It is considered more fertile compared to the soil of moist forests.

Desert soils are observed on the Pacific coast and in the Atacama Basin. Zones of practically barren rocky soil give way to masses of loose sands and large areas that are covered with s altpeter solonchaks.

In the extreme southeast of the Brazilian Highlands, which receives a lot of rainfall throughout the year, subtropical forests grow. They develop in red soil.

In the east of the La Plata lowland there are subtropical steppes or pampas. They are characterized by reddish-black soil types that are formed on the basis of volcanic rocks. To the west or south, vegetation of dry subtropical steppes or semi-deserts appears.It grows on gray-brown soil types and gray soils. At the same time, spots of s alt marshes are present in places of dried lakes.

Subtropical vegetation found on brown soils. For Patagonia, which is located in the southeast, gray-brown soils are characteristic, on which vegetation of dry steppes and semi-deserts is found. Salinization is often observed in these types of soil.

In the extreme southwestern part of the continent, which is characterized by an oceanic climate, small temperature fluctuations and high rainfall, evergreen subantarctic forests grow. They develop in forest burozems.

Application

The soils of the mainland are widely used in agriculture. The main share of crops that are grown on this continent is corn.Also, a lot of wheat is cultivated on the mainland. In addition, legumes, potatoes, unsweetened bananas grow well in the soils of the continent. Quite often, soybeans are planted - an oilseed crop, which contains many protein components.

Among industrial crops in South America, the main share is sugar cane. Coffee and cocoa are also grown in many countries of the region. There are many oilseeds on the South American continent.

The soils of South America differ in structure and composition. This is due to the peculiarities of the climate and geographical location of the continent. A variety of soil types allows the inhabitants of the mainland to actively engage in agriculture.