中国土壤地理学发展的回顾与展望

RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT OF SOIL GEOGRAPHY IN CHINA

基础土壤地理学的核心内容是土壤在时间和空间中的变化,目标是预测土壤在生态系统中的行为以及在自然和人为影响下的演变、实现土壤资源的有效管理。我国土壤地理学的发展经历了几个重要阶段,20世纪50年代区域和全国性的土壤调查和综合考察奠定了我国土壤地理学的发展基础;20世纪80年代随着全国第二次土壤普查的开始和科学研究恢复,土壤地理学重新复兴,包括土壤发生、土壤分类、土壤制图、土壤遥感等各个分支学科在内的土壤地理学得以迅速发展,这其中1984年开始的"中国土壤系统分类"研究贯穿了此后20多年的发展历程并推动了相关学科的进步;20世纪90年代以后,以3S技术为代表的新技术和新方法全面促进了土壤地理研究的现代化,土壤空间变化描述的内容、方式、应用等都发生了重大变化。未来的土壤地理学研究将面对我国土壤资源制约的国情,重点应该围绕变化中的自然条件和强烈的人为干扰下土壤质量与功能的演变、以土系为主体的土壤基层分类体系、以信息技术和模型模拟相结合的土壤资源数字化表达与管理系统等中心内容,为我国土壤资源的可持续管理、环境保护以及应对全球环境变化服务。

The core of soil geography is the study of soil changes in space and time, which aims in the prediction of soil behaviors under various ecosystems and human activities, and in the effective management of soil resources. The development of soil geography in China has experienced several important phases. In 1950 s, regional soil reconnaissance survey and natural resource survey had laid a solid foundation for the recognition of the major soil types and their distribution laws. In 1980 s, just after the restoration of the nation＇ s scientific activity, the launch of the second national soil survey programme had boosted the revival of soil geography in China, including almost all aspects of it such as soil genesis, classification, mapping and remote sensing. As a project emerged in that period, the study of “Chinese Soil Taxonomy” had prevailed nearly 20 years thereafter and had acted as an important engine of soil geography development in China. Since 1990, the emergence of new methods and technologies, represented by “3S” technology, have driven soil geography development until to date, which enables a dramatic evolution in depicting soil variation with as complete as possible data, new visions and much more convenient application possibilities. It is perceived that the development of soil geography in China in the near future should, in face of the fact that soil resources as a major limit to the sustainable development of the country, focus on the changes of soil quality and functions under changing ecosystems and intensive human activities, on soil inventory down to basic soil categories, on the digital mapping and effective management systems, for sustainable soil resource management, environmental conservation and global change mitigation.