AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Soils are originally from rocks, and their chemical and physical properties mimic these rocks. Because these minerals are small, they dominate the clay portion of soil. This characterization of soil minerals determine the soil chemical properties, and how fertile it will be.

Detailed explanation-2: -Some important physical and chemical properties of soil are mineral content, texture, cation exchange capacity, bulk density, structure, porosity, organic matter content, carbon-to-ni-trogen ratio, color, depth, fertility, and pH.

Detailed explanation-3: -Primary minerals form at elevated temperatures from cooling magma during the original solidification of rock or during metamorphism, and they are usually derived from igneous and metamorphic rocks in soil (Lapidus 1987).

Detailed explanation-4: -Soil forms through the mechanical and chemical weathering of rocks and sediments, and the accumulation and decay of organic matter. The factors that affect the nature of soil and the rate of its formation include: Climate, especially average temperature and precipitation amounts, and the consequent types of vegetation.