The weathering of rocks or materials deposited by rivers or wind creates the soil. The kind, rate and extent of soil development are influenced by five groups of factors. Climate, organisms, parent material, topography and soil structure are included. It is influenced by temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind and the amount and type of vegetation.
The climate determines the type and rate of growth of plants and animals, as well as the quality and quantity of nutrients available to them. For example, in the tropics, the temperature is warm and humid, while in temperate regions, it is cooler and drier. As a result, plants are unable to grow in these areas.
Climate also affects the types of organisms that can live in soil, such as fungi, bacteria, protozoa and nematodes. Some soil types are more suitable for certain kinds of plant life than others, and some are better suited to certain soil organisms than to others.
Table of Contents
Which factors affect soil quality?
The chemical composition of the soil, the topography, the presence of living organisms, the climate, and time are some of the variables that affect soil quality. The characteristics and extent of soil organic matter may be altered by agricultural practice and history. below)
- Organic matter is composed of carbon
- Hydrogen
- Oxygen
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Chloride
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Manganese
- Chromium
- Copper
- Zinc
- Molybdenum
- Boron
- Nickel
- Cobalt
- Silver
- Vanadium
- Selenium
- Other elements
Organic matter also contains trace amounts of trace elements such as arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium.
These elements can be harmful to human health and the environment. For example, arsenic is a carcinogen that can cause cancer in humans. Lead is toxic to the nervous system and may cause brain damage. Mercury is an environmental pollutant that may damage the kidneys, liver, eyes, lungs, reproductive organs and reproductive systems.
Cd, a toxic metal, is also found in soil and can damage DNA and cause birth defects. Manganese is essential for the growth and development of plants and animals. Calcium is necessary for bone and teeth formation. Magnesium is required for muscle contraction and nerve function.
Which factor does not affect soil formation?
formation. Weathering of rocks can be done by wind, water, and climate. The formation of soil is not related to the colour of the rocks. Soil is formed by the action of water on the minerals in the soil, which causes them to be dissolved in water. This process is called mineralization. Mineralization is the process by which minerals are incorporated into the earth’s crust.
It is a process that takes place over a long period of time. Soil can be formed in many different ways. The most common way of forming soil is by erosion. In this process, rocks are eroded away from the surface, leaving behind a layer of sedimentary rock. As a result of erosion, the rock layers are separated from each other and become separated into different layers. These separate layers of rock are called strata.
Each stratum is made up of different types of minerals, such as clay, sand, silt, clay loam, limestone, dolomite, gypsum, and so on. Some of these minerals have different chemical properties that make them suitable for different kinds of soils.
Which of the controls of soil formation is most important explain?
Temperature and moisture influence the speed of chemical reactions, which in turn help control how fast rocks weather and dead organisms decompose. In warm, moist climates, soils develop faster than in cold or arid climates. One of the most important climate factors is the amount of rain.
Water is a key component of life on Earth. It is essential for life as we know it, as well as for the growth of plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and other organisms.
Which of the five factors contribute most in the soil formation?
Relief and parent material dominate the initial state of the system while climate and organisms are more active. “This is the first time that we have been able to show that the dynamics of a system can be modelled in a way that allows us to understand how it evolves over time,” .
What are the factors affecting soil formation and development?
Water, wind, temperature change, gravity, chemical interaction, living organisms and pressure differences are just some of the things that help break down parent material. The properties of the final product will be influenced by the types of parent materials and the conditions under which they are broken down. For example, if the temperature is too cold, the carbon dioxide in the air will condense and form carbonic acid, which will react with water to form water vapour.
If the humidity is high, water will evaporate from the surface, forming water droplets that will fall to the ground as rain or snow. In the case of water, it is important to remember that water is a liquid at room temperature, but a gas at higher temperatures.
This is because water molecules are attracted to each other when they are at the same temperature as one another, and when one of them is at a higher temperature than the other, they will tend to stick together. As a result, when water vapor condenses on a surface it will form a droplet that is larger than it would be if it were a solid, because the molecules have been attracted together by the heat of evaporation.
What are the 3 main factors that affect soil strength?
The shear strength of a soil depends on a number of factors, including the composition of the soil’s particles, the amount of water in the soil, and the rate at which the water evaporates.
Soils that are rich in organic matter, such as peat, clay, or sand, are more likely to be sheared than soils with little or no organic material.
- Organic matter is made up primarily of nitrogen
- Phosphorous
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Sulfur
- Iron
- Manganese
- Zinc
- Copper
- Nickel
- Cobalt
- Boron
- Molybdenum
- Selenium
- Aluminum
- Silicon
- Chlorine
- Fluoride
- Arsenic
- Mercury
- Lead
- Cadmium
- Beryllium
The moisture content of soil determines how much soil is able to hold water, which in turn affects how fast it can evaporate.
A soil with a high water content will hold more water than a low-water-content soil. In general, soils that hold a lot of moisture tend to have a higher rate of evaporation than those that do not hold as much moisture.
What are the 4 factors affecting soil erosion?
Vegetation, rainfall, soil, and topography are the primary factors influencing soil erosion, although other factors may also play a role. Erosion is the process by which soil is eroded away from the surface of the land. It can be caused by a variety of factors, such as soil compaction, erosion by wind or water, or erosion due to erosion. The most common causes of erosion are wind and water.
Wind erosion occurs when the wind blows over the soil and causes it to become compacted. Water erosion can occur when water seeps through cracks in the ground, causing water to seep through the cracks and into the underlying soil. In addition to wind, water can also cause soil to be eroded by rain and snowfall, as well as by snowmelt and evapotranspiration (the process of evaporating water from soil).
The amount of water that evaporates from a soil surface is called soil moisture content (SMC), and is measured in milligrams per square meter (mg/m2) or millimeters per hour (mm/h). , which is a measure of how much soil has been eroded from its surface. This measure is usually expressed as a percentage.
What are the controls on soil development?
Time, climate, parent material, topography and relief, and organisms are some of the factors that affect soil formation. The relative influence of each factor varies from place to place, but the combination of all five factors normally determines the kind of soil developing in a given area. Time is the most important factor in soil formation.
It determines how long it takes for the soil to form, how fast it forms and how well it holds its shape. In general, the longer a soil is exposed to the air and the more water it has in it the faster it will form.
This is because the soils in this region have a higher proportion of clay, which allows them to hold their shape for a longer period of time. On the other hand, it is not uncommon to find soils that have been in contact with water for thousands of years. These soils will not form as quickly as clay-rich soils, because they have not had time to dry out and become water-repellent.
Which one of the following is a controlling factor for soil formation quizlet?
What are the factors that control soil formation? Parent material, time, climate, plant and animal activity, and soil chemistry are some of the factors that control soil formation. Parent material is the material that plants and animals use to form their roots and stems. For example, grass roots are made up of cellulose and hemicellulose, while the roots of trees and shrubs are composed of woody material such as bark, wood chips, or wood fibers.
In the case of plants, the parent materials are the leaves, stems, roots, shoots, flowers, fruits, seeds, leaves and flowers of the plant, as well as the soil in which the plants are growing. The time of year also plays an important role in the formation of soil. During the growing season, soil moisture and temperature are controlled by the amount of sunlight that reaches the ground.
As a result, during the summer months, plants need more sunlight to grow than during winter months when the sun is less intense. This is why plants grow faster in summer than in winter. Also, when soil is wetter, it is easier for plants to take up water and nutrients from the air. Soil chemistry is also important in determining the type of plant growth that occurs in a given area.
