What are the main factors responsible for soil formation?

Soil is the topmost layer of the earth’s surface. It is composed of organic and inorganic material. It is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, broken rocks, gases, liquids, humus and organisms that support life. There are three types of soil: Sand, silt and clay.

The main factors responsible for soil formation are:

*Parent material: Soil is mainly formed from rocks and is termed as the parent material. Parent material determines the colour of soil, its mineral composition and texture.

*Climate: It is the most important factor in soil formation. Seasonal distribution of temperature and rainfall is the most important climatic factors affecting soil formation. Climate controls the type and effectiveness of weathering of the parent material.

*Relief: It is also one of the factors responsible for soil formation. The areas of low relief have deep soils due to deposition. Steep slope encourages the swift flow of water and hinders the process of soil formation.

*Natural Vegetation: The formation and development of soil are affected by the growth of vegetation. The vegetation on soil is important in supplying the soil with organic matter.