Explain various edaphic factors that affect vegetation.

Explanation

The important edaphic factors which affect vegetation are as follows:
1. Soil moisture: Plants absorbs rain water and moisture directly from the air.
2. Soil water: Soil water is more important than any other ecological factors affecting the distribution of plants. Rain is the main source of soil water. Capillary water held between pore spaces of soil particles and angles between them is the most important form of water available to the plants
3. Soil reactions: Soil may be acidic or alkaline or neutral in their reaction. pH value of the soil solution determines the availability of plant nutrients. The best pH range of the soil for cultivation of crop plants is 5.5 to 6.8.
4. Soil nutrients: Soil fertility and productivity is the ability of soil to provide all essential plant utrients such as minerals and organic nutrients in the form of ions.
5. Soil temperature: Soil temperature of an area plays an important role in determining the geographical distribution of plants. Low temperature reduces use of water and solute absorption by roots.
6. Soil atmosphere: The spaces left between soil particles are called pore spaces which contains oxygen and carbon-di-oxide.
7. Soil organisms: Many organisms existing in the soil like bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoans,. nematodes, insects and earthworms, etc., are called soil organisms.