2.1 Selected morphological and physical properties of the soils
Chikmagalur and Wayanad soils were very deep (depth >150cm ) and Idukki soils were deep (depth: 100-150cm) (Table 1). The soil colour of all the six pedons varied from dark brown to very dark brown in the surface and yellowish red to dark reddish brown in the lower horizons. Surface soils of the coffee plantations recorded higher clay content 29.33, 36.24 and 38.17 percent respectively in Chikmagalur, Wayanad and Idukki than the forest soils (Table 1). However, clay content was noticeably higher in Wayanad and Idukki coffee plantations with a decrease in sand content (Table 1). The bulk density of forest ecosystem soils ranged from 0.98 to 1.27 Mg m-1 at the surface whereas soils from coffee plantation ecosystem recorded bulk density from 1.15 to 1.36 Mg m-1 (Table 4).