6.8   Soils of Tamil Nadu · Part 3

this forest shed their leaves during the dry season. The trees reach up to a height of metres. Some trees of this forest are silk cotton, kapok, kadamba, dog teak, woman's tounge, axlewood and siris. Bamboos are also common in this type of forests. Some trees of this forest are economically important. Mangrove Forest This type of forest is found in the coastal areas, river deltas, tails of islands and over sea faces where accretion is in progress. The vegetation is typically evergreen, moderate in height and has leathery leaves. The vegetation of this forest is adapted to survive in tidal mud and salt water. Asiatic mangrove, white mangrove, wild jasmine/Indian pivot, etc. Laterite Soil This soil is formed by the process of intense leaching. Laterite soils are found in some parts of Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Thanjavur districts and some patches over the mountainous region in the Nilgiris. Saline Soil Saline soils in Tamil Nadu are confined to the Coromandel coast. Vedaranyam has a pocket of saline soil. However, the Tsunami waves on December , brought a lot of sand and deposited it all along the east coast of Tamil Nadu. The Tsunami made the coastal areas unsuitable for cultivation to a considerable extent.