Soil science is a very interdisciplinary area of study. Traditionally, soil science has been highly valued by agriculture because of the obvious impacts that soil has on crop productivity. While that interest continues, many other fields have recognized the role of soil in Earth systems in general. Understanding soil is critical for addressing issues of food scarcity, infrastructure development, water management, climate change, biodiversity loss, and human health. Soil provides many ecosystem services that are crucial for achieving sustainability goals.
