Final answer:
Temperate forests have more fertile soil than tropical rainforests due to the thick layer of leaf litter that enriches the soil with inorganic and organic nutrients, unlike the evergreen tropical rainforests which experience nutrient leaching due to heavy rainfall.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing the soil fertility of temperate deciduous forests and tropical rainforests, it is clear that temperate forests have more fertile soil. The reason for this is the thick layer of leaf litter on the forest floor in temperate forests, which, as it decays, returns inorganic and organic nutrients to the soil. This leaf litter also provides protection against soil erosion, insulation to the ground, and habitats for various invertebrates and their predators.
Contrastingly, tropical rainforests experience high levels of rainfall, which leads to significant leaching of nutrients, rendering the soil less fertile. These forests remain evergreen year-round, and due to the lack of a dormant season like in temperate forests, there is little accumulation of leaf litter to enrich the soil. This often leads to tropical soils that are less nutrient-rich compared to the soils of temperate forests.