Who is credited as the “father of pedology” for laying the foundation of modern soil science?

✅Explanation:
Vasily Vasilyevich Dokuchaev (1846–1903), a Russian geologist and soil scientist, is widely recognized as the "Father of Pedology" (the study of soils). He laid the foundation for modern soil science through his pioneering work on soil formation, classification, and the interrelationship between soil and environmental factors.

• Key Contributions:
-Soil as a Natural Body: Dokuchaev was the first to define soil as a distinct, natural body with specific properties, differentiating it from mere geological sediments.

• Factors of Soil Formation: He identified the five main factors influencing soil formation:
-Parent material
-Climate
-Topography
-Organisms (flora and fauna)
-Time
-Development of Soil Classification: His research on Russian soils led to the first scientific classification of soils.
-Publication of "Russian Chernozem" (1883): This seminal work systematically described the fertile black soils of Russia, emphasizing their formation and distribution.