Climate

This factor has a major influence in governing the rate and type of soil formation, particularly through precipitation in terms of its intensity, frequency, duration; and temperature in terms of seasonal and diurnal variations. The effect of temperature is to influence the rate of chemical and biological reactions. In cool climates, bacterial action is relatively slow while in tropics, bacteria thrive. Soil of hot tropical region show deeper profiles as compared to soils of cold tundra region. Although the leaf fall in tropical forest is great, much of this is consumed and translocated down the soil profile. This is the reason why soil in tropical forests is poor in nutrients. It is the net precipitation (after subtracting evapo transpiration) that works on the soil.