Answer: b.The properties of soil are dependent only on nonliving components.
Soil is a abiotic (non-living) component of the environment. It consist of organic and inorganic components. It develops slowly as gradual process. Inorganic components of soil comes from weathering of rocks and minerals (living). These are responsible for giving soil its color, texture and chemical composition.The organic components of soil comes from decomposition and degradation of plants and animals remains by the microorganism present in the soil. This decomposition process increases the organic humus content of the soil and makes it more fertile. Therefore, properties of soil are dependent on both living and non-living components.