Pennsylvania Envirothon Soil Practice Test

Soil formation is influenced by five primary factors: climate, parent material, topography, organisms, and time. Each of these plays a crucial role in the development of soil characteristics. Climate affects temperature and moisture levels, which influence weathering processes and vegetation types. Topography involves the landscape's shape, which can affect drainage patterns and erosion rates. Organic matter, which comes from decomposing plant and animal material, contributes essential nutrients to the soil and impacts its structure and fertility.

Pressure, while it can influence geological processes, is not recognized as a direct factor in soil formation. Unlike the other factors, pressure does not significantly interact with the environment to create or alter soil properties. Therefore, it does not contribute to the physical, chemical, or biological processes that lead to soil development. This distinction clarifies why pressure is the correct answer as a factor that is not involved in the soil formation process.