Factors Affecting Soil Processes and Soil Characterisitics

Factors Affecting Soil Processes and Soil Characterisitics

1. Relief

   • Influences the depth and drainage of a soil
     • Poor Soils:
       • Hilly lands lead to thin soils
         • Flat upland areas can be cold and wet, causing water logging
     • Good Soils:
       • Lowlands lead to deeper soils
         • Lowlands are usually warmer and flatter, and have great filtration

2. Climate

   • Influences the rate of weathering and the amount of living organisms in the soil
   • Climate also determines whether leaching, gleying, salinisation, calcification or humification is prevalent in soil

3. Mineral Matter

   • Influences the pH of a soil, it's colour, it's water content and it's texture and structure.

4. Organic Matter (Biota)

   • Influences soil fertility
   • Dictates the amount of water and oxygen in the soil
   • Helps create humus by decomposing dead plants and animals
   • Plants help keep soil together with their roots, impacting the structure of soil

5. Time

   • The more time that soil forming processes are active, the more developed the soil becomes