Biological Weathering | Defintion - Geography NCERT Class 11 Geomorphic Processes

What is the meaning of the term Biological Weathering?

Stand definition says:- Biological weathering is contribution to or removal of minerals and ions from the weathering environment and physical changes due to growth or movement of organisms. 

We have often heard that organisms like earthworms, termites, rodents, algae, then decaying plant and animal, these all help in mixing air and water with soil to make it fertile, which is good for agriculture and irrigation. In fact, even human beings by ploughing and cultivating soils they are in a way mixing and creating contact between air, water and minerals in the earth materials. In geography textbook of Class 11 | Chapter 6 - Geomorphic Processes, it tells us how plants like mosses and lichens slowly breaks a rock into pieces because growing plant roots can exert pressure on rock. So if you see some biological elements, or we can also call them living organisms - some of which we cannot even see with our eyes, they are slowly making rocks weak and turning them into soil and it is very fascinating to actually know about such minute changes that occurs in our environment about which rarely people have any idea about.

Biological weathering caused by mosses and lichens