EDAPHOLOGY IN THE STRUCTURE OF SOIL SCIENCE AND ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY

Abstract

Edaphology (Edaphologia, from Greek εδάφοξ – soil for planting) is a science of soil as a habitat for living beings. On the contrary, pedopogy (Pedologia from Greek πεδον – leg as a thing for walking) is a science of soil properties and formation, namely genetic soil science. Soil science is a relatively young discipline studying the complex «bio-abiogenic» systems. Even the history of soil science is not simple, as the main term was duplicated: pedology and edaphology. Later, Edaphology was driven out from soil science into agricultural chemistry to solve edaphic problems for agricultural plants only. The genetic soil science had been mainly developing that time. However the edaphic problems remained and they were solved both within basic soil science and adjoined sciences. The edaphic component is clearly seen in ecological soil science (soil ecology) that appeared in the middle of the 20th century, but without a return to the initial terminology. In forest soil science, the concept of humus forms is directly related to edaphology because humus forms represent a classification of topsoil organic and organo-mineral horizons that determine the vegetation productivity and they are developed under the impact of the biological cycle in forest ecosystems. The European and North American soil-landscape classifications of forest sites also belong to edaphology. The plant ordination according to the scales of soil moisture and «richness» in ecological botany (geobotany) and lower layers of landscape classifications are of clearly edaphic origin as well. The restoration of the edaphic branch in soil science is necessary for addressing theoretical and especially practical problems in sustainable forest and environmental management under the rapidly changing environment and developing economy.

Keywords

• edaphology
• genetic soil science
• soil ecology
• humus form
• forest site
• edaphic plant ordination