The pedogenic processes, although slow in terms of human life, yet work faster than the geological processes in changing lifeless parent material into true soil full of life.
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The pedogenic processes are extremely complex and dynamic involving many chemical and biological reactions, and usually operate simultaneously in a given area.
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One process may counteract another, or two different processes may work simultaneously to achieve the same result.
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Different processes or combination of processes operate under varying natural environment.
The collective interaction of various soil forming factors under different environmental conditions set a course to certain recognized soil forming processes.
The basic process involved in soil formation (Simonson, 1959) includes the following.
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Gains or Additions of water, mostly as rainfall, organic and mineral matter to the soil.
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Losses of the above materials from the soil.
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Transformation of mineral and organic substances within the soil.
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Translocation or the movement of soil materials from one point to another within the soil. It is usually divided into
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movement of solution (leaching) and
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movement in suspension (eluviation) of clay, organic matter and hydrous oxides
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