Soils, Soil Scientists, and Civilization

Several past civilizations have suffered and gone into eclipse or extinction due in greater part to lack of stewardship and/or knowledge of their soil resources. Since the middle of the 19th century, U.S. soil scientists have provided major findings, technological advances, and intellectual leadership for the development of a highly productive agriculture sector that has contributed to a vigorous, dynamic civilization. Our present civilization is being threatened by locally excessive soil erosion and other degradation of our natural resources, currently aggravated by rural economic problems. However, recent and current famines appear to be more closely related to economic and political factors than to deficiencies in soil resources. The quantity and quality of our global soil resources seem capable of supporting our civilization at least well into the 21st century, but local areas of hunger will continue due to local and regional economic conditions and various forms of political disruptions and repressions. Humans now have the capability of degrading and polluting soil, water, and air resources on a global scale—much too quickly. But technologies for monitoring and controlling these degradations and for increasing our productivity are now becoming available, or soon will be. The Soil Science Society of America collectively and its individual members have good opportunities for and real challenges in developing and applying soil science expertise toward solutions of the problems facing our civilization now and in the future. But more trained soil scientists will be needed to accomplish these contributions. The Society and its members need to assess what they can do by working together within their areas of interests and with scientists in other fields. May the next 50 years of the Soil Science Society of America be even more vigorous and productive than the first 50 years.