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How Does Soil Form

The document discusses the five main factors that influence soil formation: climate, organisms, parental material, topography, and time. Climate and organisms accelerate chemical and biological processes in the soil, parental material determines soil properties, and topography and time impact the development of soil horizons.

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Titiksha Negi
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22 views

How Does Soil Form

The document discusses the five main factors that influence soil formation: climate, organisms, parental material, topography, and time. Climate and organisms accelerate chemical and biological processes in the soil, parental material determines soil properties, and topography and time impact the development of soil horizons.

Uploaded by

Titiksha Negi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SOIL FORMING

FACTORS
SOIL FORMING FACTORS

• Climate

• Organisms

• Parental Material

• Topography

• Time
Climate:

heat and water accelerate


chemical changes. Temperature
determines the rate of
reactions; chemical and
biological decay and so has an
influence on weathering and
humification.
Living things

Plant roots physically break


rocks into small pieces; lichen
dissolves rock; burrowing
animals mix the soil and help
aeration
Parent material:
material

Chemical changes during soil


formation depend on what minerals
and rocks are present. Example:
Calcium-rich soils generally form from
calcium-rich rocks (like limestone) but
not from calcium-poor rocks like
granite.
The parent material can influence the
soil in a number of ways:

•colour
•texture
•structure
Topography:

Loose soil stays in place in flat


areas, allowing more thorough
physical and chemical alteration
of its grains. On steep slopes,
the soil moves downhill before
complete alteration can occur.
occur
TIME :

An important feature of soils is that they


pass through a number of stages as they
develop, resulting in a deep profile with
many well differentiated horizons.
Soils are very different, depending on how they form

United States Department of Agriculture

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