Question

Name and briefly explain the factors that affect soil formation.

Short answer

Climate, topography, parent material, time, and biological factors.

Step-by-step solution

Step-1 Introduction 

The outer loose layer on the earth’s surface is known as soil. Soil is very much important for land plants. Soil formation is a slow process and it takes many years to form from rocks, organic substances, and minerals.

Step-2 Explanation

Various factors affect the formation of soil. These include both physical, and biological components.

1. Parent Material:

Parent materials include clay, sand, silt, bedrocks, and other loam-type soils. Continuous sedimentation of minerals and rocks leads to soil formation.

2. Climate:

Moisture, heat, temperature, and wind pattern are responsible for weathering of rocks and therefore cause differentiation in soil varieties.

.

3. Topography:

Topography is mainly the texture of the soil. It has an influence on fertility, water holding capacity, and air content in the soil.

4. Biological factors:

Living organisms like microbes and millions of bacteria reside in the soil. They are responsible for carbon and nitrogen fixation from the atmosphere. These also contribute to soil quality and fertility.

5. Time:

The formation of soil is no doubt a dynamic process and takes millions of years. It is a slow process. Various organic and inorganic matter deposits for many years on the earth's surface. All the decomposition and weathering process leads to soil formation.