12.2 The soil  (Page 9/27)

Parent material, climate, topography, biological factors, and time affect soil formation. Parent material is the material in which soils form. Climate describes how temperature, moisture, and wind cause different patterns of weathering, influencing the characteristics of the soil. Topography affects the characteristics and fertility of a soil. Biological factors include the presence of living organisms that greatly affect soil formation. Processes such as freezing and thawing may produce cracks in rocks; plant roots can penetrate these crevices and produce more fragmentation. Time affects soil because soil develops over long periods.