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A soil scientist examining horizons within a soil profile. Soil science is the study of 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; and these properties in relation to the use and management of soils.
Soil has four important functions: as a medium for plant growth; as a means of water storage, supply, and purification; as a modifier of Earth's atmosphere; as a habitat for organisms; All of these functions, in their turn, modify the soil and its properties. Soil science has two basic branches of study: edaphology and pedology.
Soil chemistry is the study of the chemical characteristics of soil.Soil chemistry is affected by mineral composition, organic matter and environmental factors. In the early 1870s a consulting chemist to the Royal Agricultural Society in England, named J. Thomas Way, performed many experiments on how soils exchange ions, and is considered the father of soil chemistry. [1]
Agricultural soil science studies the chemical, physical, biological, and mineralogical composition of soils as they relate to agriculture. Agricultural soil scientists develop methods that will improve the use of soil and increase the production of food and fiber crops. Emphasis continues to grow on the importance of soil sustainability.
[10] [11] Soil temperature influences biological and biochemical processes in soil, playing an important role in microbial and enzymatic activities, mineralization and organic matter decomposition. [12] Air is vital for respiration in soil organisms and in plant growth. [13] Both wind and atmospheric pressure play critical roles in soil ...
Soil formation, also known as pedogenesis, is the process of soil genesis as regulated by the effects of place, environment, and history. Biogeochemical processes act to both create and destroy order within soils.
Insects also play important roles in breaking down material and aerating and rotating the soil. Many species directly contribute to the health of the soil resulting in stronger plants. [ 1 ] A healthy topsoil layer is a very rich microbiome that hosts a wide array of species.
Soil temperature is important for the survival and early growth of seedlings. [92] Soil temperatures affect the anatomical and morphological character of root systems. [93] All physical, chemical, and biological processes in soil and roots are affected in particular because of the increased viscosities of water and protoplasm at low ...