Question.
What are the main factors responsible for the formation of soil?
(Chapter 6 Soils, Class 11 NCERT geography "India Physical Environment")
Answer.
Soil is a mixture of many substances, the main ones being rock debris, organic matter (humus), air, and water. Soil is mainly derived from parent rocks.
The following are the major factors responsible for soil formation:
- relief
- Paren rock
- climate
- vegetation
- Animals and Microorganism
- Time
Relief affects the process of soil formation. In plain areas, the soil cover is thick whereas in hilly areas the soil cover is thin.
Soil gets its chemical and physical properties from the parent material. The process of soil formation is faster in soft rocks than in hard rocks.
Temperature and rainfall are two major active factors in climate. Climatic factors such as temperature and rainfall affect the process of soil formation. In areas where there is more rainfall and higher temperature, the process of soil formation is accelerated and thick soil is found deposited there. High humidity and high temperature accelerate the process of soil formation. For example, the equatorial region has thicker soil than the desert region.
Vegetation provides humus to the soil and also enhances biological weathering.
Animals help the soil-forming process through mechanical weathering. Microorganisms influence the process of soil formation through biological and chemical weathering.
The older the topography, the thicker the soil, the newer the topography, the thinner the soil. Therefore time is a factor in soil formation.
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