What are the five primary soil forming factors? Describe each using examples
What will be an ideal response?
parent material, climate, biological activity, topography, and time.
Parent materials is the material from which soils are derived. Younger soils will maintain many characteristics of their parent materials. Older soils may vary due to various changes that have occurred over time.
Climate: Soil types correlate closely with climate types worldwide. The type of soils that develop at lower latitudes with consistent sunlight and moisture vary from those that develop at higher latitudes or those that develop in arid regions.
Biological activity: Biological activity is essential to soil development. From providing important organic matter to soils to aerating soils increasing porosity and permeability, the role of micro- and macro-organisms cannot be underestimated.
Topography: Soils that develop on steep slopes will tend to be thinner than those that develop on flatter ground. Additionally, south-facing slopes in the Northern Hemisphere (or north-facing slopes in the Southern Hemisphere), will dry out faster and by typically warmer than north-facing slopes (or south, if in the Southern Hemisphere).
Time: In general, soils take a very long time to develop. Geomorphological and geological processes occurring over long periods of time influence soil development.
You might also like to view...
Which line of evidence was not used by Alfred Wegener to support continental drift?
a. continental fit b. similarity of rock sequences c. continuity of mountain ranges on opposite continents d. fossil evidence e. paleomagnetic data
There are plankton in every major group of animals
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
You are analyzing a map location that is at the northern limit of a Hadley cell (southernmost Ferrel cell). Predict the climate conditions at that location.
A. Warm and dry due to ascending air B. Warm and dry due to descending air C. Cold and wet due to ascending air D. Cold and wet due to descending air
Which of the following best describes the Distillation Method for desalination?
A) A current is run through positive and negative electrodes in freshwater separated by semipermeable membranes from seawater. B) Large icebergs are brought to coastal waters off countries that need freshwater where they are melted. C) Saltwater is boiled and the water vapor is passed through a cooling condenser, where it condenses as freshwater. D) Seawater is frozen and thawed multiple times, with the salts washed from the ice between each thawing. E) Water on the salty side of a semipermeable membrane is pushed under high pressure through the membrane to the freshwater side.