Why some soils vary over space and time?

Soils are greatly affected by the space which they are situated within. Many factors can greatly vary over a small space and this is why soils differ so much from place to place. One of the most influential factors in soil formation is climate. If precipitation is high then this will affect the amount of air in the soil. Very wet soil has little air within it and therefore supports different plant life and as …

…occur when gleying takes place. This happens when the pore spaces in saturated soils become filled with water and so no air can enter the soil. This lack of oxygen forces aerobic conditions onto the soil and causes a reduction of iron compounds in the soil. This makes the soil a grey/blue colour with several red flecks. Gleying is the direct result of poor drainage and so it is therefore almost independent of climate.