Pedology

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Pedology

The scientific study of soil as a natural body, without emphasizing the practical uses or ecological significance of the soil. Pedology includes soil formation and morphology, its basic physical and chemical properties, its distribution, and the erosional processes affecting it without direct regard to plants or animals. Pedology provides the foundation for the study of soil as a medium of biological activity, called edaphology , and for the study of soil necessary in construction and drainage projects.