A collection of Stamps and other philatelic products with relation to Soil Science are presented upon 8 frames with 96 sheets.

Soil is the transformation product of mineral and organic substances on the earth's surface under the influence of environmental factors operating over a very long time and having defined organization and morphology. It is the growing medium for higher plants and basis of life for animals and mankind.

Soil Science is a discipline of natural bodies, which studies the conditions, development, ecology, geography, usability, and degradation as well as the conservation of soils by research and teaching.

Starting in 2005, the German Society of Soil Science designates a Soil of the Year each year. Stamps with the Soil of the Year are printed by the Austrian Post Office in Vienna. In the "Soilscapes" series stamps or other records with soil profiles are combined with those of the landscapes where they dominate. In cases where no stamps or records with soil profiles are available, letter covers were produced with the computer; sign: O. German and International soil classification systems (WRB: World Ref. Base for Soil Resources, US Soil Taxonomy) are used. The soil profiles are also combined with stamps of wild plant species, which mainly grow upon them naturally. For this Ellenberg Indicator Values (ratings of temperature, moisture, acidity, nitrogen, salinity), together with Soil Maps of the World (FAO-Unesco 1974-78) and maps of Natural vegetation (Bohn et al. 2000) are used.

In the "Attributes of Soils" series possible parent rocks are arranged after the probable texture of the soils, the primary minerals after their weatherability, and the secondary minerals after the factors of development. The ground inhabitants are arranged after their significance for soil formation (former, loosener, mixer, comminuter, decomposer, humifier).

In the "Research of Soils" series mean field and laboratory methods and their users are presented.

In the "Tillage of Soils" series the methods of loosening, mixing, fertilizing, drainage, irrigation and disinfection are demonstrated.

In the "Use of Soils" series the different forms of land use like agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fruit growing, viticulture and landscape planning are shown. In the "Soil Degradation and Conservation" series the principles of soil conservation, as well as degradation through desertification, erosion, compaction, poisoning, and salinisation, together with strategies of avoidance, are shown.

In the "Personalities of Soil Science" series historical persons who wrote about principles or use of soils are introduced. They are followed by personalities who advanced soil science as a scientific discipline.

The "Teaching Research Communications" series shows universities with pedological teaching and research as well as further places of research. This is followed by congresses of soil science and neighboring disciplines, by patrons of soil research, and publishers of books and journals of soil science and neighboring disciplines.

Literature Blume H-P, Felix-Henningsen P, Fischer W R, Frede, H-G, Horn R, Stahr K (1996ff):

Handbuch der Bodenkunde; ecomed, Landsberg Bohn, U., Gollub, G., Hettwer, C. (ed., 2000):

Map of the natural vegetation of Europe 1: 2.5 Mill.; Fed. Ag. F. Nature Conserv., Bonn- Bad Godesberg Bridges EM, Batjes NH, Nachtergaele FO, ed (1998):

World reference base for soil resources atlas. Acco, Leuven Ellenberg H (1979):

Zeigerwerte der Gefäßpflanzen Mitteleuropas. E Goltze, Göttingen FAO-Unesco (1974-78):

Soil map of the world 1: 5 Mill., Unesco, Paris Schultz J (2000):

Handbuch der Ökozonen. E Ulmer, Stuttgart Sumner M E, ed (2000):

Handbook of Soil Science. CRC press, Boca Raton Bund Deutscher Philatelisten: Philatelie, together with information bulletins of the working groups Mining & Geosciences,and Agriculture Viticulture Forestry