Soil science is a science about the features of the soil, its structure, properties, composition and geographical distribution, about the laws of its origin and development, functioning, significance in nature, land reclamation methods and methods, the intricacies of conservation and rational use in the course of economic activity. Today, soil science pretty quickly turns from a descriptive science into an instrumental one, it is engaged not only in an inventory of nature, but is also looking for ways to manage it.
The background of soil science
One of the main reasons for the emergence of this science is the problem of hunger. The insufficient amount of food grown by mankind is associated with low land, catastrophic soil erosion, desertification, and a decline in fertility. Equally important is the need to get a larger crop from a smaller area. It was as a solution to the problem of population growth and spontaneously developing agriculture that a new science was formed - soil science.
About the soil, as about a loose layer of the earth, a man developed a concept with the beginning of agriculture. But often the soil was identified with the surface area on which a person lives. But land is a more complex concept that has historical and socio-economic aspects. Although it relates to natural resources, it includes not only soil, but also a certain fraction of the earth’s surface, a certain position in the geographical space, has socio-economic potential.
The formation of domestic science
The development of soil science in Russia is usually counted from the moment the Academy of Sciences was opened in 1725. According to V. I. Vernadsky, M. V. Lomonosov should be called the first soil scientist. In his writings, he clearly showed the role of plants in the transformation of various rocks into soil. Also, it was Lomonosov, as the founder of soil science, who laid the foundations for the development of a biological view of soil as a kind of body formed during the transformation of rocks under the influence of vegetation.
Important milestones in the development of science are:
- 1779 - P. Pallas speculation about chernozem as sea silt remaining after the regression of the Black and Caspian Seas.
- 1851 - compilation and publication by V. S. Veselovsky of the first soil map of European Russia.
- 1866 - F. Ruprech developed the theory of land-plant origin of chernozems.
Proceedings of V.V. Dokuchaev
In his monograph Russian Black Earth, he wrote about the soil as a natural-historical independent natural body. During the defense of his dissertation, Dokuchaev proved that chernozem is formed under the influence of many factors of soil formation. This happened on December 10, 1883, and this day is considered to be the official date of the birth of soil science in St. Petersburg.
The work of life for Dokuchaev was the creation of a Russian school of soil science, and at the same time, the training of specialists for the needs of agriculture. Its development included methods to combat drought. Trying to raise agriculture to the highest level by all means, he also increased the economic well-being of Russia as a whole. For his labors, he earned the title of founder of soil science. Dokuchaev's works have been translated into different languages.
Other achievements of V.V. Dokuchaev:
- For collected soil collections and compiled soil maps, he received gold medals at the International Exhibitions in Chicago and Paris.
- Together with his student N. M. Sibirtsev, he developed the law of zonal and azonal distribution of soils.
- He developed a methodology for mapping soils, which was widely used abroad.
- He began long-term stationary studies of processes occurring in soils, which his student G. N. Vysotsky completed and deepened.
Other soil scientists
- P.A. Kostychev (1845-1895). He made a considerable contribution to the study of soil agronomy, in particular chernozem soils. It was he who proved that the cultivation of fodder herbs allows you to maintain soil fertility and achieve large yields.
- P.S. Kossovich (1862-1915). He suggested that individual soils are only stages in the soil process. Kossovich tried to link the chemical, physical, and agronomic data of soil studies with the fundamentals of genetic soil science. This allowed him to form the basis of soil formation leaching processes or eluvial.
- K.K. Gedroits (1872-1932). He developed a manual for the laboratories "Chemical analysis of the soil", and also studied in detail colloidal processes in the soil, which resulted in the study of the absorption capacity of soils.
- K. D. Glinka (1867-1927). He worked in various soil science areas: studying the mineral composition of the soil, studying the weathering of minerals, studying ancient soils, conducting soil and geographical research.
- S. S. Neustruev (1874-1928). He is the author of the first course of lectures on soil geography.
- B. B. Polynova (1877-1952). He laid the foundation for the modern study of soil weathering, and experimentally proved the leading role of organisms in soil formation.
Thanks to the work of these and many other scientists, soil science as a science was formed precisely in Russia. Many scientific terms entered the international lexicon precisely from the filing of Russian scientists (chernozem - chernozem, podzol - podzol, etc.).
Development directions
Like any other science, modern soil science is differentiated into a number of sections, which can be combined into two large blocks: fundamental and applied. Fundamental (general) soil science is aimed at studying the characteristics of the soil as a single natural body. Applied (private) soil science aims to study various aspects of soil use by humans.
Fundamental soil science includes the following disciplines, considered exclusively in relation to soils:
- morphology;
- soil physics and chemistry;
- history of soil science;
- soil biogeochemistry;
- soil biology and zoology;
- soil microbiology;
- mineralogy of soils;
- geography and cartography of soils;
- ecological functions of the soil;
- soil hydrology;
- soil energy;
- soil fertility;
- soil ecology;
- paleo-soil science;
- soil degradation and conservation;
- soil genesis and evolution.
Morphology, physics, chemistry, mineralogy and biology of soils directly study the composition, structure and properties of soils. Such sections of fundamental soil science as geography and systematics, soil ecology, soil assessment, and soil informatics serve to study the spatial distribution and natural diversity of soil on the Earth's surface, together with general geography. Historical soil science is associated with the study of the development and evolution of soil, its disciplines are soil genetics and paleo-soil science. Dynamic soil science includes the study of the processes of formation of modern soil regimes. Regional soil science is the most valuable basis for rational nature management, since it is directly related to the study of soils in large regions.
Within the framework of applied soil science, the following directions are being studied:
- agricultural;
- forest;
- reclamation;
- sanitary;
- engineering;
- geological (soil science);
- environmental;
- archaeological;
- forensic;
- landscape and landscape gardening;
- land surveying;
- soil appraisal and land cadastre;
- conservation soil science;
- agrochemistry of soils;
- soil agrophysics;
- bionomics;
- soil science teaching.
Applied soil science considers agricultural soil science the most valuable, which includes the rational organization of territories, the choice of crop rotation, the selection of processing methods and ways to increase soil fertility. Reclamation soil science is also important. This is the theoretical basis for comprehensive land reclamation using the methods of engineering and technology, chemistry, biology and agricultural technology. Sanitary soil science has a considerable range of tasks related to the problems of the neutralization of various wastes, and the geography of plant and animal diseases.
Soil functions
- Making life possible on Earth. Soil is considered one of the main treasures of any state, because on its surface and in its thickness about 90% of all food products are produced. Soil degradation is inextricably linked to crop failure and reduced food, leading to poverty in countries. From the soil, most plants, which are the beginning of the food chain, receive trace elements and minerals, water to build biomass. Soil is not only a consequence of life, but also a condition for its existence.
- Ensuring the connection of the geological and biological cycles of substances carried out on the earth's surface.
- Regulation of the composition of chemicals in the atmosphere and hydrosphere. Under the influence of soil microorganisms, which in large quantities produce various gases - nitrogen and its oxides, oxygen, carbon mono- and carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide and others, the soil has a huge impact on the chemical composition of the atmosphere.
- Regulation of biosphere processes. The distribution of living organisms by land, as well as their density, is mainly determined by the geographical characteristics of the soil. Its heterogeneity, along with fertility and climatic factors, affects the choice of habitats, including humans.
- The accumulation of organic matter in active form and chemical energy interconnected with it.
Soil Formation Factors
Soil science as a science is based on soil formation factors. Today, soil is understood as meaning a complex multifunctional and multicomponent open structural system with a fertility in the surface layer of the earth's crust, which is a complex function of rocks, organisms, climate, reliefs and time. These five factors are the basis of soil formation. Two more factors have been added relatively recently: ground and soil waters, as well as human activities.
Soil-forming rocks are usually called a substrate on which the process of soil formation takes place directly. They contain particles that are inert to the chemical processes around them, but which play a crucial role in creating the physical and mechanical properties of the soil. Other constituent components of parent rocks are quite easily destroyed, which leads to the enrichment of the soil with certain chemical elements. It is obvious that the structure and composition of soil-forming rocks extremely strongly affect soil formation. That is why the section "Fundamentals of Geology" in soil science is extremely important.
Plants in the course of their life are able to synthesize organic substances and in a special way distribute them in the soil. In living plants, this is the root mass, and in the dead, the aerial part is plant litter. The decomposition of these plant residues leads to the transition of chemical elements into the soil, which, in turn, gradually enriches it.
Due to the vital activity of microorganisms, biological residues are decomposed and compounds absorbed by plants are synthesized. Plants with microorganisms form some complexes that lead to the formation of different types of soils. So, in coniferous forests, chernozem will never be formed, for which meadow and steppe plants are needed.
Animal organisms are equally important for soil formation. For example, excavators constantly dig through the soil, which contributes to its loosening and mixing, and this, in turn, ensures good aeration and rapid development of the soil formation process. Do not forget about the enrichment of the organic part of the soil with the products of their vital functions.
Periodic wetting and drying, freezing and thawing cause the formation of deep cracks on the surface of soils. In this case, the processes of air exchange of the soil are disturbed, and hence the chemical processes. Thus, soil science is a science for which understanding the great diversity of processes occurring in the environment is important.
Who and where is studying soil science?
Soil science as an individual subject or as a section within the framework of another is studied in the training of specialists in various industries. Often, educational institutions do not even have a faculty of soil science, and geographers, biologists, or ecologists teach it.
Mandatory is the study of soil science by students studying in the areas of environmental protection and its rational use. Especially in those sectors of the economy that are capable of causing extreme damage to soils: oil and gas production, metallurgy, chemical synthesis, and many others.
No less important is this discipline for future specialists in forestry and forestry, landscape design, land management and cadastre, agriculture and agricultural chemistry, land cadastre and many others.
Faculty at Moscow State University
Despite the fact that there is no institute of soil science in Russia as such, Moscow State University is considered to be the center for studying this science. For the first time, the question of teaching soil science and the opening of departments of soil science at Russian universities was posed and substantiated by V.V. Dokuchaev in 1895. But then his proposal did not materialize. And only a decade later, in 1906, his supporter, head. The Department of Agronomy of Moscow State University A.N.Sabanin introduced the teaching of soil science to students of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, or rather, its natural branch. The department of soil science appeared in 1922 on the basis of the department of agronomy.
Over the many years of the university’s history, the Department of Soil Science in different years has belonged to the physical and mathematical, soil and geographical, and geological and soil, and biological and soil faculties. Today, the Faculty of Soil Science is an independent structural unit of the university and includes 11 departments:
- Agrochemistry.
- Geography of soils.
- Soil erosion.
- Agriculture.
- Soil chemistry.
- Soil science.
- Radioecology.
- Soil biology.
- Physics of soils.
- Soil estimates.
- Agroinformatics.
Soil preparation takes place at different levels of higher education: “Bachelor of Soil Science” (term of study 4 years), “Specialist-soil scientist” (term of study - 5 years) and “Master of Soil Science” (duration of study - 6 years).
Graduate school
Postgraduate study at the Faculty of Soil Science of Moscow State University allows about 90 future scientists to study at the same time. For this purpose, the faculty has set up councils for awarding scientific degrees to doctors of biological sciences in the specialty "Soil Science", doctors and candidates of biological sciences in the specialty "Biogeochemistry", candidates of biological sciences in the specialties "Soil Science", "Agrochemistry", "Microbiology" and "Agrology and agrophysics ".