Soils in an environmental context: an American perspective

The understanding of fundamental properties of and processes in soils has both agricultural and environmental benefits. Fundamental understanding of soil biology, chemistry, pedology, and physics can be applied to problems of production, environment, and environmental problems caused by production. Although most frequently thought of as agricultural scientists, soil scientists have many roles in modern science including environmental science. The demand for food, animal feed, and fiber continues to increase, driven by growing populations, rising aspirations and improving standards of living. On a global basis, soil science will continue to be viewed as primarily an applied agricultural science. In contrast to the third world, concerns about agricultural production in the developed countries have diminished in this century because of the success of soil and crop science to increase production per unit area. At the same time, concerns about soil, water and air pollution have increased. Soil science knowledge is being employed to understand environmental problems such as non-point water pollution by sediment, air quality diminution by fugitive dust, and trace element transport in runoff. Studies of microbial degradation of farm chemicals has now expanded to biodegradation of organic chemicals with urban sources. Soil science plays a key role in understanding and modeling the transport of pollutants to ground water and to remediation of polluted urban environments. Soils, as occupants of most landscapes, also play important roles in buffering changes in natural ecosystems. Acid rain and global climate change are two environmental problems to which soil scientists have applied themselves. Soil scientists can be proud of their contributions to improving agricultural production and have the opportunity to continue to apply their basic understanding of soils to many environmental problems.