1. Climate: Temperature and precipitation affect the rate of chemical and physical weathering, as well as the amount of organic matter accumulation.
2. Topography: Changes in elevation, slope, and aspect influence soil development by affecting water flow, erosion, and exposure to sunlight.
3. Parent Material: The type of rock or sediment from which the soil forms influences its chemical and physical properties.
4. Organisms: Plants and animals contribute to the accumulation of organic matter, influence nutrient cycling, and can alter soil structure through their burrowing and root growth.
5. Time: The length of time that each of the above factors has been in effect influences the precise characteristics of the soil.
6. Human activities: Agriculture, land use changes, and pollution can alter soil characteristics and cause soil degradation.
Factors influencing soil formation
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What is phoresis
Phoresis is a type of symbiotic relationship between two or more organisms, where one organism (the phoront) uses another organism for transportation to a new location, without actually attaching to or harming the host organism. The phoront simply attaches itself to the host organism and is carried from one place to another. The phoront can be a small arthropod or microbe that is too small or incapable of traveling to a new location on its own. A well-known example of phoresis is the hitchhiking behavior of mites on insects or birds.
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