ABSTRACT
The factors of pedogenesis were defined in Chapter 1. They are the features of the environment that influence the development of soils. We shall study them further now. In theory, the subject is inexhaustible because anything that affects the environment concerns the soil directly or indirectly. Actually we will limit ourselves here to the essentials, which all scientists should know in order to understand the genesis and spatial organization of soils. We shall follow the same plan for each factor. Firstly, we shall make observations showing what acts on the soil. Then we shall attempt to understand its mode of action without going into details of the mechanisms. Lastly, we will examine the range of consequences in regard to the types of soils and their geography.
