4 Geography · 4.1.7 Biogeography and soils of the world

4.1.7.2 Major soil types of the world and their distribution

World soils follow world climates and vegetation: leached red laterites in the wet tropics, ash-grey podzols under northern conifers, rich black chernozems under mid-latitude grasslands, and thin salty soils in deserts.

  • APPSC Group 1
  • Advanced level
  • 8 min read
  • Full course

Key terms

  • zonal soils
  • intrazonal soils
  • azonal soils
  • laterite
  • latosol
  • oxisol
  • podzol
  • spodosol
  • chernozem
  • mollisol
  • chestnut soil
  • brown forest soil
  • alfisol
  • desert soil
  • aridisol
  • tundra soil
  • gelisol
  • terra rossa
  • vertisol
  • black cotton soil
  • loess
  • alluvial soil
  • andisol
  • histosol
  • USDA soil taxonomy
  • World Reference Base

What this note covers

  1. Core factsFoundation
  2. ExplainedStandard
  3. DeeperAdvanced
  4. Mains writingMains writing
  5. Common trapsFoundation
  6. Quick revisionFoundation

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