Question

1. Give two examples of how rock composition/characteristics affect soil properties during the early phases of soil formation. Why is parent material particularly important during the early stages of soil formation but less so during the later stages?

2. Given an example of a region where climate conditions favor physical over chemical weathering and vice versa. Briefly explain your answer.

3. Explain why it is very challenging to study the isolated effects of one single soil- forming factor on soil-forming processes. Given an example of an interaction between two soil-forming factors.

4. What makes soil taxonomy a hierarchical classification system? List the taxonomic levels in order of detail. Can you think of soil types that do not fit within the soil taxonomy?

5. Theoretically, can any epipedon occur with any subsurface horizon? In reality, is it likely to find all combinations of epipedons and subsurface horizons? Explain your

answer.

6. How would you explain a sub-surface horizon that had the properties of an epipedon? Or an epipedon with the properties of a sub-surface horizon?

Answer 1

1 Soil minerals form the basis of soil. They are produced from rocks through erosion , weathering etc. Wind,water, chemical interaction,temperature change etc will help to break down parent material. The type of parent material will influence the properties of soil formed.

Eg :- soil formed from basalt under moist conditions breakdown to form fertile clay soil whether soil formed from granite are sandy and infeetile.

The character and chemical composition of parent material plays an important role in the formation of soil especially in the early stage of soil formation. Paremt material influence on soil property tend to decrease with time as it is altered and climate becomes more important.