Consider the following statements : Statement-I : The soil in tropical rain forests 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?

Answer: D. Statement-I is incorrect; Statement-II is correct. Statement-I is WRONG. Tropical rainforest soils are NOT rich in nutrients. They are LATERITIC and NUTRIENT-POOR. Despite the lush vegetation above ground, the soil itself is highly weathered, acidic, and depleted of phosphorus, calcium and potassium. Most nutrients are locked up in the standing biomass (trees, leaves, animal matter), not in the soil. This is why slash-and-burn agriculture in rainforests yields only 2-3 cropping years before fertility crashes. Statement-II is CORRECT. The high temperature and humidity of tropical rainforests do cause rapid decomposition of dead organic matter. However, this rapid decomposition is precisely WHY the soils are nutrient-poor: nutrients are quickly recycled back into the vegetation through dense root mats; they never accumulate in the soil. Heavy rainfall also leaches nutrients from the soil. So Statement-I is wrong; Statement-II is correct but actually EXPLAINS why Statement-I is wrong (i.e., supports the inverse). Source: NCERT Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography Ch 12 (World Climate).