Zonal soils differ from azonal soils primarily because zonal soils

Zonal soils are mature soils whose characteristics are primarily determined by the prevailing climate and natural vegetation of a region, resulting in well-developed, distinct soil horizons (A, B, and C layers). Azonal soils, by contrast, are immature soils that lack well-developed profiles because they are young or dominated by local factors such as parent material or topography—examples include alluvial and skeletal soils. Options A and C describe azonal soils, while option D refers to a specific parent material type.