Factors of Soil Formation

Mineralogy, hardness, porosity, surface area(faster) or finer grains(water retention)

These are the surface and subsoil layers that have undergone same soil-forming conditions

Quartz sand doesn’t create clay soils due to no Al

Form abundant clay minerals with high fertility due to cations and building block

Granite contains mostly quartz and K feldspars, less quartz and more Na and Ca feldspars are mafic

Formation fpressure, composiion of original deposit, sandstone orignates from sand-size sediment

Higher porosity

Drops largest particles newar source, carrying smaller larger distances

Terrestrial clastic sediment composed predominantly of silt-size particles formed by accumulation of wind-blown dust

Glacial till and glaciations

This is soil and debris that accumulate at the base of a slope by mass wasting or sheet erosion

Precipitation/temperature most important, varying depending on elevation/latitude, yearly also

High OM accumulation, weathering products removal and dominant acidification

Evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation, OM accumulates more slowly, with rapid soluble salt and carbonate accumulation

Mean annual temperature and precipitation

Dominant redox reactions and gleying

Increases clay formation, clay type then influenced by climate: smectite found in drier climates than kaolinite

Slope length and angle determine effective precipitation

Soil development(pedon thickness and horizon differentation) decreases with slope with increasing erosion

NH north faceing slopes colder due to less incident solar radiation

Root exudates, ell death with root growth and death/degradation

Produce compounds that chelate cations and humus production

Rainfall assimialtes dissolved ions in crown drip, reacting with soil solid phase differently than pure water

S = f(Pm, C, R, B, T)