Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Soil/Categories

I am developing a hierarchical structure for category:soil science.

Tools
Wikipedia CatScan -- Paleorthid 17:57, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

Special:Recentchangeslinked/Category:Soil science -- Paleorthid (talk) 17:48, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

Discussion
Here is a good way to highlight the most relevant category:

Paleorthid 13:36, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

Here is the intro to Physical science: Physical science is an encompassing term for the branches of natural science, and science (generally), that study non-living systems, in contrast to the biological sciences. There might be a similar opportunity to describe soil physics, soil chemistry and soil biology: branches of soil science (generally) and of agricultural and environmental soil science, that study (non-living systems exclusive of chemistry)(study chemistry?)(living systems). --Paleorthid 19:19, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

Hierarchical structure
This table covers the heirarchical category structure.

Paleorthid 16:53, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

Note: As a term, edaphology is very descriptive but its practical use is limited. Most folks jump to the term soil science when they describe the substantial overlap of agricultural and environmental soil science. As such, the articles listed in the edaphology category will be nil: it will be a category of categories. Paleorthid 18:14, 5 April 2006 (UTC)
 * As time goes on, the above statement seems to be losing its currency: A periodic google search for the terms edaphology and edaphologist shows a growing trend, indicating that edaphology is moving into common usage.

Shouldn't Category:Soil mechanics be a subcategory of Category:Soil science? Thanks. Ufwuct 21:09, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
 * If it was in the soil science category heirarchy, it would by under soil physics. There overlap between soil science and engineering within soil mechanics, however my sense of it is that common usage places it with engineering. -- Paleorthid 06:46, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

3D structure below 2D structure
2 dimensions are inadequate beyond the above. Subsequent subfields are not normally contained by one higher category. Yet the number of articles is sufficiently high to warrant avoiding cluttering up the main soil science category. Additionally, some of these subfields are critical to diverse disciplines outside of soil science. Instances:


 * A needed soil nutrients category would be a subfield in soil chemistry, soil biology, environmental soil science and agricultural soil science as well as crop, garden and agriculture categories outside of soil science.
 * Likely soil nutrient category articles: fertilizer, plant nutrition, and the individual nutrients (potassium, phosphate, etc.) that link to these. Note: a plant nutrient category cannot be used in place of a soil nutrient category because these nutrients also support soil microbial populations important to bioremediation, waste treatment and wetland processes.


 * A needed soil moisture or soil hydrology category constitutes an important field in soil physics but must necessarily also be shown as a subcategory of environmental soil science and agricultural soil science, as well as environmental engineering and environmental geology categories outside of soil science.
 * Likely soil hydrology related articles: water content, water retention curve, disc permeameter, infiltrometer,   Mariotte's bottle, vadose zone, permanent wilting point, available water capacity, nonlimiting water range, sorptivity,  and integral energy


 * Note the table in the geohydrology and aquifer articles. Consider using something like this in the soil moisture related articles. Could support or displace a category solution. Paleorthid 21:00, 5 April 2006 (UTC)


 * A needed soil profile category, covering "vertical" characteristic and features important to classification and to land use decision making would be a sub-category of most of the categories in the table above. This, despite the fact that articles gruped into a soil profile category would constitute the most important content in a planned soil morphology category.
 * soil profile related articles: soil structure, soil horizons, soil  texture, soil texture classification, permeability


 * pedology category would include soil quality

Paleorthid 16:53, 5 April 2006 (UTC)


 * It is important to remember that just because something is not immediately below a category, that it can still be there. I attempted to alleviate some problems with soil science today but there may still be other problems. Ans  e  ll  Review my progress! 05:11, 16 May 2006 (UTC)


 * That is certainly the case.  The category structure is only one of several ways available to point to similar or related content,  and arguably not the most important. -- Paleorthid 06:15, 16 May 2006 (UTC)