Tracing Environmental Geochemistry of Soil from Mango Orchards in the Palakkad Region Kerala India

Abstract

Soil is one of the most vital components of the Earth ecosystem and newlineis formed through the weathering of rocks and natural erosion. It contains newlineboth biotic and abiotic factors such as plants, living organisms, organic newlinematters, minerals, water and air. The filtering capacity of this uppermost newlinebiologically active porous medium maintains ground and surface water newlinequality by preventing the entry of contaminants from land to the soil aquifer. newlineMoreover, it is an essential natural habitat for producing a plant-based food newlineresource and serves as an engineering medium for the construction of newlinevarious foundations for human habitations. Even then, land degradation and newlinepollution caused by population pressure and economic development threaten newlinethe sustainability of the soil horizon. newlineIn the 21st century, for a sustainable ecosystem, one of the major newlinechallenges being faced by human beings is soil protection and maintaining newlinetheir quality. The soil quality concept is more complicated than that of air newlineand water quality owing to the slow response to change in land use for newlinevarious cultivation purposes and their frequent management practices like newlinebuilding construction, deforestation and farmland activities. The changes newlineoccurring in air and water are easily observable, while the detection of newlinechanges in the soil is difficult to identify before irreversible damage occurs newlinein the soil system. Water and air quality are primarily defined by the degree newlineof pollutants that directly affect humans and animals or the entire earth. newlineHowever, soil quality represents both soil pollution levels and the ability of newlinesoil habitat and land-use boundaries to withstand bio-productivity, sustain newlineenvironmental quality, promote ecosystems, and improve animal health. newline newline