State the concespts of soil- pedology and edaphology

In the last two centuries of scientific study, two concepts or approaches to the study of soil have evolved.  One called  pedology treats soil asa natural entity, a biochemically weathered and synthesised product of nature and deals with its classification and description as it occurs. The other named  edaphology, treats soil as a natural habitat for plants and studies it in terms of its productivity and means of conserving and improving it, the production of food and fibre being their ul timate goal. We however are going to follow a combined approach. Having understood about soil and its importance let us study about the general features of soil.