Oxisols are highly weathered tropical soils that have undergone millions of years of intense rainfall, heat, and chemical weathering. Most of their easily dissolved minerals have been leached away, leaving soils dominated by stable iron and aluminum oxides and low-activity clays such as kaolinite. They are typically acidic, naturally low in essential nutrients, and have a low capacity to retain added nutrients.
Despite their low natural fertility, Oxisols can support productive agriculture when managed with lime, fertilizers, and organic matter. They have excellent physical structure, drain well, and resist erosion because their fine particles form stable aggregates. Many tropical rainforests grow on Oxisols by rapidly recycling nutrients through living plants and decomposing organic matter rather than storing nutrients in the soil itself.
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