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Soil and Process of Soil Formation - NCERT Class 7
NCERT Class 7 Science- Soil is the outermost layer of the Earth. Hence, it is the layer we can readily see when we step out of our homes. know more

Factors of Soil formation / Factors responsible for soil formation

Soil formation refers to the evolution of soils and their qualities, and pedologists have identified five main soil formation processes that impact soil properties.

These five factors are:

 

  1. Parent material – It is the initial state of the solid matter making up the soil.
  2. Topography – Topography includes the physical characteristics of an area of land, especially the position of its rivers, mountains, etc.
  3. Climate – It refers to the traits of weather as they evolve for soil properties to develop. It includes precipitation, temperature, and storm patterns.
  4. Organisms – Organisms greatly affect the development of soils. Be it animals, humans or other smaller living organisms.
  5. Time – The parent material and topography are variable factors of soil formation. Organisms and climate are fixed attributes of soil formation. Time is an abstract variable whose significance is a marker of the evolution of soil characteristics.

Read more Process of soil formation