Soil taxonomy physicochemical characteristics and mineralogy associated with the critically endangered endemic tree Syzygium travancoricum in the Western Ghats of India

Soil taxonomy physicochemical characteristics and mineralogy associated with the critically endangered endemic tree Syzygium travancoricum in the Western Ghats of India | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Soil taxonomy physicochemical characteristics and mineralogy associated with the critically endangered endemic tree Syzygium travancoricum in the Western Ghats of India N S Amrutha, S Sandeep This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8739414/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Soil properties are important indicators of plant growth as well as soil health. A study has been conducted related to the properties of soil under Syzygium travncorium is an indigenous tree to the South Western Ghats, India. The current study was conducted at Kalasamala, a temple grove lying at Thrissur district, Kerala, this study was to compare the soil taxonomy, physicochemical properties, and mineralogy under Syzygium travancoricum (profile A) and adjacent heterogeneous vegetation (profile B) to evaluate whether the edaphic environment effects the persistence of this endangered tree species grown there by taking soil profiles at depth 1.5m. The soils under two types of vegetations were classified under the order Ultisol and sub-classified as as Ustic Palehumults (profile A) and Typic Haplustult. Profile A, has quartz in the sand fractions; chlorite mica, kaolinite, gibbsite and quartz in silt fractions; chlorite, kaolinite, gibbsite and quartz in clay fractions. In contrast profile B, exhibits quartz and feldspars in sand fractions; chlorite, Hydroxy Interlayered Vermiculate, mica, kaolinite, gibbsite, and quartz in silt fractions; chlorite, Hydroxy Interlayered Vermiculate, kaolinite, gibbsite, and quartz in clay fractions. Profile A has three classes of soil textures; sandy loam, sandy clay loam, sandy clay, whereas only two textural classes, sandy loam and sandy clay loam were found in profile B. Furthermore, it has been observed that the process of illuviation results accumulation of clays at the bottom horizons in these systems, thus enhancing Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), Total Exchangeable Acidity (TEA) and Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) except the illuvial layer (Bt2) of profile B. This study recognized typical characteristics of tropical humid soils, including leaching, low nutrient levels, and acidity. The decline of Syzygium travancoricum , by low seedling and poor regeneration, may be partly due to these limiting edaphic conditions along with anthropogenic pressures such as over exploitation and habitat destruction. Soil physico-chemical properties Soil taxonomy Soil mineralogy Influence of S. travanacorium on soil properties Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Highlights.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8739414","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":597334740,"identity":"0833f510-2be6-4467-b402-7a6d38026636","order_by":0,"name":"N S Amrutha","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"KSCSTE- Kerala Forest Research Institute","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"N","middleName":"S","lastName":"Amrutha","suffix":""},{"id":597334742,"identity":"61c86f0b-1923-43da-9be0-9b9a5a6397ec","order_by":1,"name":"S Sandeep","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"KSCSTE- Kerala Forest Research Institute","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"S","middleName":"","lastName":"Sandeep","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-30 09:09:35","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8739414/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8739414/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":108804671,"identity":"d1ff449a-4695-49dd-860c-5b4923adce4c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-08 15:22:41","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":749762,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ManuscriptAmrutha.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8739414/v1_covered_f8359094-6c72-4d80-9801-c3555517510e.pdf"},{"id":103603945,"identity":"85af561e-1d4d-4c94-ab56-23956340c97b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-27 14:35:09","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":15601,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Highlights.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8739414/v1/ba78b45cde2d145a5df6c51a.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Soil taxonomy physicochemical characteristics and mineralogy associated with the critically endangered endemic tree Syzygium travancoricum in the Western Ghats of India","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Soil physico-chemical properties, Soil taxonomy, Soil mineralogy, Influence of S. travanacorium on soil properties","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8739414/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8739414/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eSoil properties are important indicators of plant growth as well as soil health. A study has been conducted related to the properties of soil under \u003cem\u003eSyzygium travncorium\u003c/em\u003e is an indigenous tree to the South Western Ghats, India. The current study was conducted at Kalasamala, a temple grove lying at Thrissur district, Kerala, this study was to compare the soil taxonomy, physicochemical properties, and mineralogy under \u003cem\u003eSyzygium travancoricum\u003c/em\u003e (profile A) and adjacent heterogeneous vegetation (profile B) to evaluate whether the edaphic environment effects the persistence of this endangered tree species grown there by taking soil profiles at depth 1.5m. The soils under two types of vegetations were classified under the order Ultisol and sub-classified as as Ustic Palehumults (profile A) and Typic Haplustult. Profile A, has quartz in the sand fractions; chlorite mica, kaolinite, gibbsite and quartz in silt fractions; chlorite, kaolinite, gibbsite and quartz in clay fractions. In contrast profile B, exhibits quartz and feldspars in sand fractions; chlorite, Hydroxy Interlayered Vermiculate, mica, kaolinite, gibbsite, and quartz in silt fractions; chlorite, Hydroxy Interlayered Vermiculate, kaolinite, gibbsite, and quartz in clay fractions. Profile A has three classes of soil textures; sandy loam, sandy clay loam, sandy clay, whereas only two textural classes, sandy loam and sandy clay loam were found in profile B. Furthermore, it has been observed that the process of illuviation results accumulation of clays at the bottom horizons in these systems, thus enhancing Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), Total Exchangeable Acidity (TEA) and Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) except the illuvial layer (Bt2) of profile B. This study recognized typical characteristics of tropical humid soils, including leaching, low nutrient levels, and acidity. The decline of \u003cem\u003eSyzygium travancoricum\u003c/em\u003e, by low seedling and poor regeneration, may be partly due to these limiting edaphic conditions along with anthropogenic pressures such as over exploitation and habitat destruction.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Soil taxonomy physicochemical characteristics and mineralogy associated with the critically endangered endemic tree Syzygium travancoricum in the Western Ghats of India","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-27 14:35:00","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8739414/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"fdd886dc-e455-406d-8dd1-987bde2b6c5c","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 27th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"decision","content":"Withdrawn","date":"2026-05-06T11:44:40+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-06T11:56:39+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-27 14:35:00","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8739414","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8739414","identity":"rs-8739414","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}