The geopedologic approach

Abstract

The relationships between geomorphology and pedology can be analyzed from different perspectives: conceptual, methodological, and operational. Geopedology (1) is based on the conceptual relationships between geoform and soil which center on the earth’s epidermal interface, (2) is implemented using a variety of methodological modalities based on the three-dimensional concept of the geopedologic landscape, and (3) becomes operational primarily within the framework of soil inventory, which can be represented by a hierarchic scheme of activities. The approach focuses on the reading of the landscape in the field and from remote-sensed imagery to identify and classify geoforms, as a prelude to their mapping along with the soils they enclose and the interpretation of the genetic relationships between soils and geoforms. There is explicit emphasis on the geomorphic context as an essential factor of soil formation and distribution.