Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
and
pedes
(plural) meaning foot, with Greek
pais
or its shortened form
ped
meaning
child, and with Greek
ped
meaning education in encyclopedia and in pedagogue
meaning a child's guide. Persons studying soils are called pedologists and should
not be confused with those known as pediatricians or pedophilia.
The term pedology was probably used for the fi rst time and only once and for-
mally in the title of the topic
Pedologie oder allgemeine und besondere Bodenkunde
by F.A. Fallou and G. Wiedemann in 1862. However, the scientifi c approach to the
principles of origin and properties of soils was still missing. We had to wait for
20 years more until the Russian V. Dokuchaev formulated the scientifi c principles
of origin and properties of soils. His role in foundation of soil science, or pedology,
has been appropriately described by A. Hartemink, who compared Dokuchaev's
unique creativity to making the fi rst Cremona violin - already perfect and ready to
use since his fi eldwork was accompanied by the theory and vice versa. As a result,
we are all disciples of Dokuchaev.
Most people living in cities and urban communities who spend a great majority
of their time in offi ces of institutions and in factories are used to saying “Soil is
dirt.” Those words are virtually never spoken by farmers nor heard from the mouths
of persons living in rural areas who appreciate the local and regional essential
importance of soils. We soil scientists are aware of the universal importance of soils
and readily understand that without soil, life in its contemporary form would not
exist today. We are organized in local clubs and national societies as well as in the
International Union of Soil Science. Our cooperation in research and exchange of
new theories as well as discussing the application of theories in farmers' fi eld, the
amelioration of soil properties for practical aims in water management, and the
preservation of healthy soils and maintenance of profi table environments are real-
ized at conferences and courses. The publication of papers in international journals
is an inseparable part of our specialized studies. Here, we list the names of only a
few of the many frequently cited journals:
Soil Science
,
La ciencia del suelo y
nutrición vegetal
,
Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
(
Zeitschrift für
Pfl anzenernährung und Bodenkunde
),
European Journal of Soil Science
,
Catena
,
Geoderma
,
Soil Science Society of America Journal
,
Soil Technology
that was
incorporated in
Soil and Tillage Research
, and many national journals of soil sci-
ence, like
Canadian Journal of Soil Science
or
Japanese Journal of Soil Science and
Plant Nutrition
(
Nippon dojohiryogaku zasshi
).
If we could understand the soil language, let us say Pedolang or Pedenglish, we
would hear: “Hi, all of you
Homo sapiens
. Do you know me? I am the membrane
on the top of Earth. I am thinner than apple peel and I have more functions than that
peel. I am protecting your life, I am fi ltering the dissolved compounds and the fi nest
particles from water and thus I am assuring your safe life. I am your buffer smooth-
ing energy oscillations and balancing water excess with water shortage during
droughts. I am your sustainer of life, your supporter. I have endless capacity to store
useful compounds and elements and to offer pleasant environments for the genesis
of new forms of life. You
Homo sapiens
should be aware of what I have just said in
