All our important crop plants and trees require soil, as do the forests, grasslands and other kinds of natural vegetation that clothe our islands. The nature and quality of the soils determine island productivity and development potential. Unfortunately, soils do not always stay the same. They can be improved, but usually if they are neglected or misused, they can deteriorate and lose their good qualities. It is therefore important to learn something about soils and how to care for them.
Continental islands are fragments of rock separated off from a big continent.
They usually have many kinds of rock, and thus many kinds of soil. These skeletons, like our bones, are made of calcium carbonate which makes limestone. When rock is exposed to the weather and to attack by plants and animals, it breaks down very slowly to make soil. The qualities of the soil depend on the rock it is made from. The quantity of soil depends on how old the island is and how long it has been exposed to weathering.