The subject offers an introduction to soil science with special emphasis on weathering, formation and degradation of soils in tropical environments. It deals with the recognition and description of soils in the field and provides an understanding of the processes active in tropical soils. Students will develop an appreciation of the significance to land use and management of the physical, chemical and biological properties and processes in soils, including compaction, water availability, soil fertility and plant nutrition, colloids, cation and anion exchange, soil sodicity, acidity, salinity, deep weathering, life forms in the soil, organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. Other aspects of the subject include the more applied aspects of soil science, including soil classification, land resource assessment, land degradation, especially soil erosion and salinity problems and remediation strategies for degraded urban and rural soils.