Consider the following statements: Statement-I: The soil in tropical rainforests is rich in nutrients. Statement-II: The high temperature and moisture of tropical rain forests cause dead organic matter in the soil to decompose quickly. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

The correct answer is D, Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct. Rainforest soil is actually poor in nutrients, even though the forest above it is the richest on land. Heat and heavy rain make dead leaves decompose within weeks, and the released nutrients are taken up almost at once by the dense roots and fungi of the trees. So most nutrients are stored in the living biomass, not in the soil, and only a thin layer of humus lies on the surface. Constant rain also washes minerals down through leaching, leaving red, acidic, laterite-type soils rich mainly in iron and aluminium oxides. This is why cleared rainforest land loses its fertility after a few harvests. Statement-II is right because fast decomposition is exactly what this hot, wet climate causes. Options A and B are wrong because Statement-I is false. Option C is wrong because it reverses which statement is true. Exam tip: in a rainforest the nutrients sit in the trees, not the soil; cool forests keep more in the soil because decay is slow.