Soils and agroforestry: General principles

Abstract

Proper management of soils has been central to the welfare of human society since very early times. An understanding of the nature and properties of soils is, indeed, critical to the success of any land-use system. Since the beginning of agricultural research in the mid-1800s, soils and soil-related aspects including plant nutrition were dominant themes in land-use R & D (research and development) portfolios all over the world. Thanks to these efforts, soil science has developed into a well-researched and prominent discipline endowed with a rich and voluminous literature base. This chapter presents a general introduction and briefly reviews the common terms used in soil science that are essential for understanding the major soil processes and ecosystem services. The topics and terms explained include those related to soil formation; physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils; soil types and classification; soil-derived plant nutrients; soil management, and a brief note on some special characteristics of tropical soils. The major terms used in the chapter are also included in the Glossary of the book.