Soil Formation - Soil Carbon: Science, Management and Policy for Multiple Benefits - page 95

Conclusions

critical zone, which is the thin veneer
of our planet where rock meets life.
Understanding the operation of these
soil-forming factors requires an interdis-
ciplinary approach and is a necessary
predicate to charactering soil processes
and functions, mitigating soil degrad-
ation and adapting soil management to
environmental change.

Soil formation reflects the complex
interaction of many factors, among the
most important of which are: (i) the na-
ture of soil parent material; (ii) regional
climate; (iii) organisms, including hu-
mans; (iv) topography; and (v) time.
These processes take place in Earth's

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