There are four main soil forming factors.They are
*parent material
*climate
*living things
*time
Parent material
Parent material is the substance from which the soil is formed.
Parent materials could be bedrock, organic mterials or old soil surface.
For example the parent matreial of white sand (Dhonveli)mainly corals.
Climate
Climate refers to the average weather conditions over along period of time for a given area. For example the climate of Maldives is Iruvai moosun is mostly warm and humid with occasional rain.
Soil vary depending on the cimate.
Climatic factors that affect soil are
*Temperature
*wind
*Rain
Living things
All plants and animals living in or on the soil can affect soil formation.When these organisms die their remains become organic materials which improve the soil. For example, Earthworms help to decompose(breakdown)waste materials. They also help in the mixing the materials in the soil.
Time
Soil takes years to form. Therefore to keep soil fertile it is important to look after the soil properly.
