Abstract:
Investigations on the morphology and mechanical composition were carried
out in a toposequence located in the mid-upland laterite region of Kerala. The
sequential profiles in the toposequence showed a striking gradation in colour
from reddish in the crest to different shades of grey in the valley. The structural
development showed a decrease down slope. Another significant observation was
the striking decrease in the content of coarse fragments down the slope. Among
the size fractions, sand tended to accumulate in the nearly level lower slope
position, while clay fraction decreased down slope. The formation of the diverse
group of soils have been attributed to the variations in topography, causing erosion
colluviation, sedimentation and other pedogenic processes modified by
water table.
