Climate and its Effect on Soil Formation (2024)

Asst. Ins. Suha Salim Ali (M.A.)
University of Diyala
College of Education for Human Sciences
Department of Geography
E-mail: Suhasalim11@yahoo.com

Keywords: Climate, Soil

Introduction

Soil isthe fragile layer covering the earth’s crust ataheight ofbetween afew centimeters toseveral meters. Itisamixture oracomplex mixture ofmineral and organic materials such asair and water inwhich the plant fixes its roots and derives the necessary components oflife for its survival, reproduction and production.

Soil isthe fragmented layer inwhich organic, plant and animal life meets the world ofminerals, water and air, and the four layers: atmosphere, biosphere, Lithosphere and hydrosphere. The plant gets what itneeds from food,. Atthe same time, plants and animals return tothe soil and their residues are analyzed. Living organisms play animportant role inbuilding soil. Atthe same time, soil isthe source oflife for all organisms, including humans, which depend ontheir food, habitat, and shelter onwhat grows inthe soil ofplants and animals.

The Problem

Does climate play arole insoil formation?

Climate plays asignificant role inthe composition ofsoil and the most important climatic factors involved insoil composition are: Humidity (precipitation— evaporation— humidity— temperature— wind).

Hypothesis: —Climate has animportant role inthe formation ofsoil and its development through the factors affecting the soil composition, like the state ofhumidity (evaporation— evaporation— humidity— temperature— wind).

Soil Composition Factors

1. Raw Materials

Raw material means the original rock material orthe parent material with rock cuttings derived from the crustal rocks due tothe weathering process which has been subjected toclimatic conditions, plant life, biological processes, regression factor and drainage system.

2. Climate conditions

Climate isone ofthe most active factors inthe composition and formation ofsoil asthe itisaffected byclimate conditions directly during all stages through the stage ofextraction from the rocks and some ofthe characteristics ofthe soil and its main characteristics are formed indirectly. Heat and precipitation are the two most important climatic elements insoil formation. Climatic elements have aclear effect onthe transformation ofcrustal rocks into raw materials, conversion ofraw materials into real soil and the effect ofclimate onsoil. Direct impact isthe direct effect bytemperature and fall.as well asindirect impact through vegetation and topographic features.

3. Natural Plants

Vegetation affects the formation ofsoil and the formation ofits distinctive characteristics inthree ways:

1. Vegetation prepares the soil with most organic materials.

2. Chemical composition ofdead plant residues that are added tothe soil directly affectsPH ratio.

3. The decaying plant remains shall bepartially orfully dissolved.

4. Underground Water and Drainage System

Drainage isdefined asthe passage ofwater through soil. The speed ofpassage depends onseveral factors, the most important ofwhich isthe soil slope and the degree ofits permeability.

The Climate Role inSoil Composition and Development

Elements ofthe climate are aneffective factor inthe formation ofsoil patterns and their composition and control alarge extent inthe organization, even ifthey are composed ofdifferent raw materials. This isbecause they affect orinterfere directly and indirectly inthe distribution oftheir plant and animal life and inthe activities ofother factors contributing tothe formation and the activity ofvarious operations. Because their effects tovary bysize, aclose correlation usually exists between the distribution ofmost major groups ofsoil and the distribution ofregions orclimatic zones.

Itconsists oftemperature, humidity, wind and air pressure. Each element has afunction orfunctions that lead tosoil composition and highlights its effect. However, some ofthem interfere with the functions ofothers. Sometimes, interference isinthe form iscooperation and sometimes itisinthe form ofaconflict from the soil perspective. The impact oftemperatures isclear inthe weathering ofrocks and the provision ofraw materialsIt also highlights the activation ofall chemical processes also inthe temperament ofrocks and the provision ofraw materials and also directly onthe activity ofbiology and the activity ofall the processes inwhich the composition, including mechanical processes that lead tothe formation ofsectors and distinction between layers. Italso has aneffect onthe conservation ofsoil temperature and onthe provision ofwater toits neighborhoods atthe time ofneed when itaccumulates onits surface inthe form ofsnow.

Physical Effects ofSoil

Physical characteristics ofthe soil have agreat relationship tothe many uses byhumans. Through the knowledge ofthese qualities, wecan determine the most appropriate machines for soil tillage and distance between the poles and their depths and requirements, soil types ofwater and include color and texture porosity and resistance and soon. The color ofthe soil isthe most visible ofits physical properties, because itisvisible and can beeasily seen bythe eye. However, itiseasy toavoid and isclassified bythe researchers asthe basis ofHue, the color ofthe spectrum, the value ofthe colors reflected byChrono particles tothe degree ofcolor and luster.

Soil tissue means the mechanical composition ofits mineral components and the relative values oftheir constituents. The composition ofthese components iscomposed ofparticles ofdifferent sizes, including sand, clay, and slit. Soil scientists call each one byaseparate label oraclass name. The soil consists ofthese grades. The soil types and weaves each class toarank ortoarank that ismost influential inits composition.

Soil construction means the pattern, shape and organization inwhich the soil isarranged inclusters. Inaccordance with this determination, the soil isnot considered tobebuilt ifits particles are cone, each ofwhich isindependent ofthe other, such assand indeserts. The soil whose particles are formed isnot asdense asthe clay soil that contains ahigh percentage ofcolloids more than itshould orthe soil ofthe impermeable layers which results from the deposition ofthe center ofsome adhesives such assilica orsome oxide orsome carbonates inthe pores between the particles, the porosity ofthe soil and its influence. Soil porosity means that itcontains pores and has anaverage rate ofthe total volume ofthe samples taken from their layers ofcapillary follicles and other non-capillary pores. This ratio isestimated tobethe total amount ofthe total sample sizes. The ratio may befractional and usually apercentage. Orbetween one layer and another ofthe layers according tothe texture, structure and content ofthe organic matter and inthe rate of30-50%, but may fall inthe clay to4% while rising inorganic soil to90%.

Table (1) Degrees ofpermeability

Climate and its relationship tosoil problems

1. Soil salinity

Isaterm used toexpress positive and negative ions inthe soil and salts are necessary for plants when they exist inmoderate proportions, but their harmful effect begins with the increase ofconcentrations ofthese salts. The saline soils are classified according totheUS classification assoil which isclassified byanelectrical connection tothe extract ofthe ingested dough more than (4dsi/ m) and the pHlevel isclose tothe equalizer and less than 8.5 and the percentage ofmutual sodium isless than 15%. Asfor soil salinity, itisclear that the vast majority ofthe soil suffers from high salinity. This istrue with the findings ofthe researchers that75% ofthe land affected bydifferent degrees ofsalinity.

The harmful effects resulting from increasing the salinity ofthe soil heavily, but the most harmful effects are: -

1. Increasing salinity concentration leads toincreased nitrogenic pressure inthe soil solution and the inability ofthe nitrogenous plant toabsorb water and nutrients quickly enough togrow naturally.

2. Increasing the concentration ofsome elements inthe soil solution soastolead toimbalance between the different elements and the lack ofsome inthe plant.

Although the problem ofsalinity ischaracterized byits steps relatively, but itcan befound solutions tothese solutions are summarized intwo points:

1. Performing reclamation processes (inorder toreduce the salinity ofthe soil, especially inthe root layer, tothe extent that crops are allowed togrow satisfactorily).

2. Inorder for the results ofthe reclamation tobesuccessful, there must betwo types offarmers and for good soil and water management.

Soil Classification

The classification ofany natural orhuman phenomenon means that itisthe means and means bywhich similar phenomena are combined intheir characteristics and characteristics inlarger groups. Sothat they can beeasily understood, described, and linked. Classification isacriterion-based technique that enables the workbook tocollect aninfinite number ofsimilar types inlarger groups that are easier todescribe, simplify, and evaluate inthe training process ofany science ofhuman knowledge. Hence the importance ofsoil classification asafirst stage ofscientific research inthe study ofsoil geography. The fact ofthe climatic and vegetative conditions inthe composition ofsoil characteristics was realized bythe American soil scientist D.Marett, who took his idea ofhis Russian colleague Dokogiev and found his classification, which divided the soil into three large groups:

First: —Zonal Soils

Mature soils with full developmental characteristics and characteristics arising from the influence ofclimatic conditions and biological processes. These occupy broad regions that extend inthe form ofbands whose geographical distribution isclosely related tothe distribution ofclimatic and vegetative regions together and has adistinctly layered section with different characteristics and characteristics. They are divided into two main types:

A— Pesticides: —They are prevalent inarid and semi— arid climates with weed orweed— free vegetation inwhich the ratio ofcalcium and other calcareous substances increases inthe surface layer ornear them.

B— Pedalfires: —They are prevalent inhumid climates with vegetation cover offorests and increase the amount ofiron and aluminum onwater soluble materials.

Second: Intrazonal Soils

They are mature and full-fledged cultivars such aszonal soils, but their characteristics and characteristics are not due tothe effect ofclimate factors onnatural plants, but due toother local factors such asgradient, natural terrain, water drainage, and the original materials derived from soil and local climate. These factors give the soil certain characteristics that differ from the general characteristics ofthe range ofsoil that occupies the whole region and the section ofthese soils influenced bythe detailed and local climate more than the impact ofthe general climate prevailing inthe region characteristics ofoverlapping seed within the general field soils. Itisthe result oflocal factors such asdesert drainage, local climate, local natural plant orraw materials derived from aparticular type oflocal rock. The overlapping soil isclassified into three main groups:

A— Halomorph soil: —prevail inthe desert and desert similarity and the reason for its presence isdue tothe concentration ofsodium salts inthe soil and this gives them chemical, natural and biological properties that negatively affect most types ofa*gricultural crops. These soils are usually found inlow-lying areas with sedimentary soil where irrigation depends onirrigation.

B- Hydromorphic soil: —These soils can beobserved inbad areas discharge inmost ofthe shallow soils where the water iscollected inmany quantities and permanently for asufficient period oftime toshow the effect ofGleying operations onthe soil.

C— Kalimorfk soil: —are found inthe soil soils where the raw materials are composed oflimestone rocks and sometimes called these groups the name ofcalcareous soils.

Third: Azonal Soils

Itincludes immature tufts and incomplete development ofits section, which isthe steep slope ofthe slope orcontinuous addition tothe rock mounds, itincludes dune sand dunes and renewable tropics aswell assoils onthe steep slopes, which are always inthe youth stage. There may beAzonal soils inmany parts ofthe world. They are found under different types ofclimate, under different vegetation cover and different climatic conditions, which are not required tobelocated inareas determined byclimate conditions orbiological factors. Inother words, agood development either because ofrejuvenation ormodernity composition orbecause ofthe raw materials and terrain orany other factor prevents the development ofthe characteristics ofthe sector with its known layers and this soil four types:

A.Lithosols: —developed over hard rock resistant toweathering factors where the process ofsoil formation isvery slow, shallow rocky soils with afew soft rock breakers.

B.Allurial Soils: —Developed over the floodplains ofthe rivers are renewable soil because ofwhat rivers bring during the periods offlood ofthe material Tmoyeh isvery rich soil and spread inall types ofsoils.

C.Mountain Soils: —Shallow soil issubject toerosion, especially those located onthe slopes and mountain slopes.

D.Rego Soils: —Developed over non-contact materials such assand dunes and organic soils.

Conclusions

1. The climate has animportant role inthe formation ofsoil and the main factors involved inits composition are the state ofhumidity (precipitation— evaporation— temperature— wind).

2. The climate isone ofthe most active factors inthe formation and formation ofsoil asthe soil isaffected inthe climatic conditions directly during the stages ofdevelopment.

3. Soil composition and evolution are directly affected bythe quality ofthe terrain and the degree ofslope ofthe surface.

4. Man isnot considered animportant factor inthe formation ofsoil asmuch asitisauseful factor for ithas increased the human change ofsoil byincreasing the population onthe surface ofthe globe.

5. Soil erosion isthe process bywhich soil constituents are removed and transported bywind, running water and ice.

References

1. Abbas, Mohammed Khidhir, (1989). Soli Formation and Morphology. Mosul: AlKutub House ofPrinting and Publishing.
2. AlAgidi, Waleed Khalid, (1996). Physical Geography. Baghdad: Baghdad University Press.
3. AlAni, Abdullah Najim (1996). Elements ofSoil. Baghdad: Baghdad University Press.
4. AlZubeidi, Ahmed Heidar, (1996). Soil Salinity. Baghdad: Baghdad University Press.
5. Shalash, Ali Hussein, (1981). Soil Geography. Basra: AlHikma Publication House.
6. Sharif, Ibrahim, &Ali Hussein Shalash (1985). Soil Geography Baghdad: Baghdad University Press.