Edaphology

Edaphology (from Greek _gr. ἔδαφος, "edaphos", "ground"; and _gr. -λογία, "-logia") is one of two main divisions of soil science, the other being pedology. [Page 8 "in" Citation
last = Buckman | first = Harry O. | last2 = Brady | first2 = Nyle C. | title = The Nature and Property of Soils - A College Text of Edaphology | place = New York | publisher = The MacMillan Company | year = 1960 | edition = 6th] [cite web|url= http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~doetqp-p/courses/env320/lec1/Lec1.html|title= Lecture 1 Chapter 1 Why Study Soils?|accessdate= 2008-01-12|last= Gardiner|first= Duane T|format= HTML|work= ENV320: Soil Science Lecture Notes|publisher= Texas A&M University-Kingsville] Edaphology is concerned with the influence of soils on living things, particularly plants. The term is also applied to the study of how soil influences man's use of land for plant growth [cite paper | author = Research Branch | title = Glossary of Terms in Soil Science | version = Publication 1459 | publisher = Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa. | date = 1976 | url = http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/glossary/ | accessdate = 2008-01-07 ] as well as man's overall use of the land. [cite book | last = Whittow | first = John B. | title = The Penguin Dictionary of Physical Geography | publisher = Penguin Books | date = 1984 | location = London | isbn = 014051094X] General subfields within edaphology are agricultural soil science (known by the term agrology in some regions) and environmental soil science.

In Russia, edaphology is considered equivalent to pedology, but is recognized to have an applied sense consistent with agrophysics and agrochemistry outside of Russia. [cite journal | last = Tseits | first = M. A. | authorlink = | coauthors = B. A. Devin | title = Soil Science Web Resources: A Practical Guide to Search Procedures and Search Engines | journal = Eurasian Soil Science | volume = 38 | issue = 2 | pages = page 223 | publisher = Translated from Pochvovedenie, No. 2. 2005, pp. 247-253 |date = 2005 | url = http://soil.msu.ru/downloads/sswebresources_eng.pdf | accessdate = 2008-01-07]

History

Xenophon (431–355 BC), and Cato (234–149 BC), were early edaphologists. Xenophon noted the beneficial effect of turning a cover crop into the earth. Cato wrote De Agri Cultura ("On Farming") which recommended tillage, crop rotation and the use of legumes in the rotation to build soil nitrogen. He also devised the first soil capability classification for specific crops.

Jan Baptist van Helmont (1577–1644) performed a famous experiment, growing a willow tree in a pot of soil and supplying only rainwater for five years. The weight gained by the tree was greater than the weight loss of the soil. He concluded that the willow was made of water. Although only partly correct, his experiment reignited interest in edaphology. [Xenophon, Cato and Van Helmont: see page 9-12 in Citation | last = Miller | first = Raymond W. | last2 = Gardiner | first2 = Duane T. | title = Soils in Our Environment | place = Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 | publisher = Prentice Hall | year = 1998 | edition = 8th | isbn = 0136108822]

Areas of study

Agricultural soil science

Agricultural soil science is the application of soil chemistry, physics, and biology dealing with the production of crops. In terms of soil chemistry, it places particular emphasis on plant nutrients of importance to farming and horticulture, especially with regards to soil fertility and fertilizer components.

Physical edaphology is strongly associated with crop irrigation and drainage.

Soil husbandry is a strong tradition within agricultural soil science. Beyond preventing soil erosion and degradation in cropland, soil husbandry seeks to sustain the agricultural soil resource though the use of soil conditioners and cover crops.

Environmental soil science

Environmental soil science studies our interaction with the pedosphere on beyond crop production. Fundamental and applied aspects the field address vadose zone functions, septic drain field site assessment and function, land treatment of wastewater, stormwater, erosion control, soil contamination with metals and pesticides, remediation of contaminated soils, restoration of wetlands, soil degradation, and environmental nutrient management. It also studies soil in the context of land use planning, global warming, and acid rain.

ee also

* Edaphic
* Sustainable agriculture

Notes

References

* [http://eionet.europa.eu/gemet/concept?cp=2539 European Environment Information and Observation Network (EIONET)] Url last accessed 2008-01-07
* SSSA [https://www.soils.org/sssagloss/index.php Soil Science Glossary] Url last accessed 2008-01-07
* [http://iaspub.epa.gov/trs/trs_proc_qry.alphabet?p_term_nm=ALL&p_reg_auth_id=1&p_data_id=11614&p_version=1 USEPA Term list (theme=soil)] Url last accessed 2008-01-07