Soil And Its Formation


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Soil And Its Formation

Soil And Its Formation:  Soil covers a major portion of the earth's land surface. It is an important natural resource that either directly or indirectly supports most of the planet's life. Life here depends upon soil for food. Plants are rooted in soil and obtain the needed nutrients from there. Animals get their nutrients from plants or from other animals that eat plants. Many animals make their homes or are sheltered in the soil. Microbes in the soil cause the breakdown and decay of dead organisms, a process that in turn adds more nutrients to the soil.

Soil is a mixture of mineral and organic materials plus air and water. The contents of soil vary in different locations and are constantly changing. There are many different kinds of soils. Each has certain characteristics including a specific colour and composition. Different kinds of soils support the growth of different types of plants and also determine how well that plant life grows, Soil is formed slowly, but can be easily destroyed. Therefore, soil conservation is important for continued support of life. The formation of a soil is influenced by:

1. Organisms

2. Climate

3. Topography

4. Parent material, and

5. Time

Agents Of Soil Formation: The principal agents of physical weathering are given below.

1. Temperature: The differential expansion and contraction of minerals in the rocks due to variations in temperature set up internal tensions, form weaker zones and gradually break them apart. High temperatures accelerate the process of chemical weathering, especially in warm humid regions.

2. Water: Torrential rains and flowing waters dislocate the solid particles on the rocks and expose the inner portion to the agents of weathering. The dislodged particles are carried down and deposited elsewhere as alluvium. Similarly, the sea-waves wear off the rocks on the shore, and the glaciers in the high mountains exert an erosive and transporting influence on the rocks and their fragments.

3. Wind: Wind exerts abrasive action, detaches the particles from the rocks and acts as a carrying agent. Sandstorms in the deserts and high winds on the seashore have both erosive and transport action.

4.Plants and Animals: Lichens and mosses growing on bare rocks cause their gradual disintegration. Grasses, shrubs and trees, growing in rocks' crevices, help to extend the cracks by the growth of their roots. The decomposition of litter and decayed matter accelerates the chemical weathering owing to the release of organic acids.

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