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Soil science

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geology and geophysics

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   Soil science deals with soil as a natural resource on the surface of
   the earth including soil formation, classification and mapping;
   physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils per
   se; and these properties in relation to the use and management of
   soils.

   Sometimes terms which refer to branches of soil science, such as
   pedology (formation, chemistry, morphology and classification of soil)
   and edaphology (influence of soil on organisms, especially plants), are
   used as if synonymous with soil science. The diversity of names
   associated with this discipline is related to the various associations
   concerned. Indeed, engineers, agronomists, chemists, geologists,
   geographers, biologists, microbiologists, sylviculturists, sanitarians,
   archaeologists, and specialists in regional planning, all contribute to
   further knowledge of soils and the advancement of the soil sciences.

   Because an understanding of soil science is important to the correct
   practice of a wide variety of disciplines, it is not unusual to find
   soils specialists within related disciplines. Soils specialists within
   related disciplines sometimes choose to refer to themselves as soils
   scientists, leading to some confusion as to qualifications. To
   distinguish themselves from soil specialists, professional soil
   scientists in the USA can seek professional registration and
   certification.

Soil Science Practice

   Academically, soil scientists tend to be drawn to one of five areas of
   specialization: microbiology, pedology, edaphology, physics or
   chemistry. Yet the work specifics are very much dictated by the
   challenges facing our civilization's desire to sustain the land that
   supports it, and the distinctions between the sub-disciplines of soil
   science often blur in the process. Soil science professionals commonly
   stay current in soil chemistry, soil physics, soil microbiology,
   pedology, and applied soil science in related disciplines.

   One interesting effort drawing in soil scientists in the USA as of 2004
   is the Soil Quality Initiative. Central to the Soil Quality Initiative
   is developing indices of soil health and then monitoring them in a way
   that gives us long term (decade-to-decade) feedback on our performance
   as stewards of the planet. The effort includes understanding the
   functions of soil microbiotic crusts and exploring the potential to
   sequester atmospheric carbon in soil organic matter. The concept of
   soil quality, however, has not been without its share of controversy
   and criticism, including critiques by Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug and
   World Food Prize Winner Pedro Sanchez.

   A more traditional role for soil scientists has been to map soils. Most
   every area in the United States now has a published soil survey, which
   includes interpretive tables as to how soil properties support or limit
   activities and uses. An internationally accepted soil taxonomy allows
   uniform communication of soil characteristics and functions. National
   and international soil survey efforts have given the profession unique
   insights into landscape scale functions. The landscape functions that
   soil scientists are called upon to address in the field seem to fall
   roughly into six, areas:

     * Land-based treatment of wastes
          + Septic system
          + Manure
          + Municipal biosolids
          + Food and fibre processing waste
     * Identification and protection of environmentally critical areas
          + Sensitive and unstable soils
          + Wetlands
          + Unique soil situations that support valuable habitat, and
            ecosystem diversity
     * Management for optimum land productivity
          + Silviculture
          + Agronomy
               o Nutrient management
               o Water management
          + Native vegetation
          + Grazing
     * Management for optimum water quality
          + Stormwater management
          + Sediment and erosion control
     * Remediation and restoration of damaged lands
          + Mine reclamation
          + Flood and storm damage
          + Contamination
     * Sustainability of desired uses
          + Soil conservation

   There are also practical applications of soil science that might not be
   apparent from looking at a published soil survey.
     * Age dating: specifically a knowledge of local pedology is used to
       date prior activity at the site
          + Stratification (archeology) where soil formation processes and
            preservative qualities can inform the study of archaeological
            sites
          + Geological phenomena
               o Landslides
               o Earthquakes faults
     * Altering soils to achieve new uses
          + Vitrification to contain radioactive wastes
          + Enhancing soil microbial capabilities in degrading
            contaminants ( bioremediation).
          + Carbon sequestration

Fields of study in soil science

     * Edaphology
          + Agricultural soil science (see Agrology)
          + Environmental soil science
     * Pedology
          + Soil genesis
          + Pedometrics
          + Soil morphology
               o Soil micromorphology
          + Soil classification
               o USDA soil taxonomy
     * Soil biology
          + Soil microbiology
     * Soil chemistry
          + Soil biochemistry
          + Soil mineralogy
     * Soil physics
          + Pedotransfer function
          + Soil mechanics and engineering

Fields of application in soil science

     * Soil survey
     * Soil management
     * Standard methods of analysis
     * Soil fertility / Nutrient management
     * Ecosystem studies
     * Climate change
     * Watershed and wetland studies
     * Pedotransfer function

Related disciplines

     * Agricultural sciences
          + Irrigation management
     * Anthropology
          + archaeological stratigraphy
     * Environmental science
          + Landscape ecology
     * Geology
          + Biogeochemistry
          + Geomicrobiology
          + Geomorphology
     * Hydrology
          + Hydrogeology
     * Waste management
     * Wetland science

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_science"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
