Discuss soil as an abiotic factor.

Explanation

Soil. Soil is the most important component of land. It is the fertile surface layer of the earth capable of supporting plant growth. It is a mixture of animal matter, air, water, organic matter (humus) and organisms. Soil provides water and minerals to plants and serves as a habitat for bacteria, fungi and many kinds of animals. Human activities have aggravated soil erosion, salinisation, water logging, acidification, alkalination, leaching, impoverishment and silting. These phenomena are a serious threat to land as a resource.
The nature and properties of soil in a given place are dependent on the (i) climate (ii) the weathering process (iii) whether soil is sedimentary or transported and (iv) how the soil development occurred.
Properties of soil like soil composition, grain size and aggregation determine the water holding capacity of the soil. The physical and chemical properties of soil such as grain size, porosity, pH and mineral composition, determine the type of plant that can grow in a particular habitat and the type of animals that depend on these plants. The characteristics of the bottom sediments of aquatic environment determine the type of benthic animals that can live there.