Tropical Soil Humus

Abstract

In strongly weathered tropical soils, humus and humic substances (HSs) appear to play an important role in soil fertility because they represent the dominant reservoir and source of plant nutrients. As the refractory organic carbon form of soil, HSs play a vital role in the atmospheric CO2 sequestration. Detailed classification of humus forms in tropical ecosystems and the dynamics and function of humus are still poorly understood. Nevertheless, in tropical environment many studies indicated that it is very difficult to differentiate between tropical humus, at least in normally drained soil. Moders, mulls, and Amphimull are the dominant humus forms in the topsoil of tropical environment. Knowing the mechanisms of formation, the dynamics and the methods of characterization of humus in tropical zones are a scientific challenge. This chapter aims to share recent findings from a broad humus in tropical soil and research related to this theme.