Pedologia

Pedology is a branch of soil science that studies soils as natural bodies in their environment. It covers the origin and development of soils (pedogenesis), their morphology and physical properties, classification, and spatial distribution across the landscape. Pedology emphasizes soils in relation to the climate, biota, parent material, topography, and time, collectively known as the soil-forming factors.

Key concepts include soil profile and horizons, constituent mineral and organic material, structure, texture, color, chemistry, and physics. Pedology uses classification systems to group soils by genesis and properties, such as established soil taxonomies and reference base frameworks. The field often distinguishes pedology from edaphology, which studies soils primarily as they affect living organisms and agricultural productivity.

Historically, pedology is associated with the work of Vasily Dokuchaev, who in the late 19th century promoted soils as a distinct natural body and laid the groundwork for modern soil science. Today pedology informs land-use planning, environmental management, ecosystem studies, geotechnical assessments, archaeology, and planetary science where soil analogs are examined on other planets and moons. While often used interchangeably with soil science, pedology remains the core focus on soil formation, properties, and spatial distribution.