Introduction of Our Laboratory

We are studying SOILS.
The word 'SOIL' may sound scientific in your ears. But SOIL is very familiar to us because we can see it everywhere and we have been playing with 'muddy substances' since our childhood. But then, unfortunately, considerable area of SOIL surface are covered with asphalt nowadays. SOIL is so familiar to us, so that we are unconscious of the existence of SOIL. How do you answer when you are asked "What is SOIL?" You will say "It is a material which thinly covers the earth". It is true. Then, when you are asked "What types of material ?", how do you answer? You will say "It is a weathered rocks". The answer seems true, but it is not true. SOIL is created by the activity of organisms, and SOIL is not a single particle itself but the aggregation of particles. SOIL, so to speak, consists of inorganic and organic materials, organisms, water and gases. Finally, what is the role of SOIL ? You will say, "It holds plant roots and it supplies nutrients and water to plants". It is true, but this is nothing but a small part of the whole. We are studying the functions of SOIL.
In order to evaluate the SOIL functions from the point of matter cycling, we are studying many kind of systems e.g. forests, wetlands, ponds, farms etc. And also we are observing any kind of matters which have interaction with SOIL, e.g. organisms, water, air. The objectives of our studies are: How and how many the materials cycle in each system, and what is the effect of SOIL on the cycle? SOIL is a natural resource, hence we should make sustainable use of it. This is also the important theme of our studies. We attempt to consider this subject through the materials cycle in each system. Accordingly we are working on the field in the sunshine or in the rain.
Many difficulties should arise because we are studying the heterogeneous SOIL which have complicated interface between SOIL and other materials and also intra-SOIL interface between soil components. But we are proud of studying the elaborated mechanisms of the GREAT NATURE.