# Developmental History of Soil Concepts from a Scientific Perspective
## 1 Introduction  
Various soil concepts have been discussed over time in the soil science community, and narrative descriptions of these concepts have been developed to capture the increasing complexity of soil-environmental issues. Many of these have helped to raise awareness of the need to protect limited soil resources [1], but some are used inconsistently or interchangeably due to the shared semantics of their definitions, aims, and/or scopes [2]. Soil quality and soil health are examples of concepts that improve public awareness of theimportance of soil resources, with short- and long-term soil management that influence soil functions and processes in practice [3; 4].  
Soil concepts seem to arise from a combination of various pathways: researchers in the scientific community (top-down); dialogue in professional organizations (top-down and bottom-up); and communication with stakeholders (bottom-up). [PERSON] et al. (2018) summarized diverse definitions of soil concepts, including soil quality, soil health, and soil security [2]. These definitions were proposed by scientists and professional organizations, such as the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). Semantic similarities can be found among the definitions of each soil concept. Soil quality and soil health are used loosely and interchangeably with another soil concept, soil fertility [5]. [PERSON] explained soil health as a holistic measure of soil productivity, resilience, and sustainability [6]. Soil care has been promoted, along with soil productivity and fertility, in the service of farmers [7]. Soil care can be seen as a broad concept encompassing soil fertility, soil conservations, and/or protection from soil degradation [8].  
Professional institutions seem to play the role of aggregating individual proposed ideas into an adaptable form for various stakeholders. On the other hand, [PERSON] et al. (2003) sounded an alert in regard to the impacts of institutionalizing definitions of soil concepts that may prevent specific stakeholders from protecting/managing soil resources properly [9]. The gap between individual and collective perceptions/perspectives must be revealed and closed. For instance, [PERSON] et al. (2017) addressed this need using the Meta Soil Model, which is rooted in integral theory and integral ecology [10]. [PERSON] (2011) asserted that the different opinions of various stakeholders (farmers, non-governmental organizers, manufacturers, researchers, etc.) and policymakers must be aligned to enable successful projects based on a review of sustainability problems in Dutch agriculture [11]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] (2019) stated that top-down policy-driven changes in soil health management will be necessary for the common good [5]. However, the bottom-up approach is underappreciated in current soil concepts.  
Understanding how soil concepts have evolved in the soil science community is crucial for soil scientists, because the concepts' backgrounds may reflect social, cultural, and/or political needs and events/situations. In addition, quantitative trend analysis of soil concepts over time can reveal how each concept has gained attention and been popularized through scientific research.  
Thus, the purpose of this study is to quantitatively understand the developmental history of various soil concepts (1900 to 2018) and demonstrate changes in their frequency of use over time. Identifying the origins of each soil concept in publications for the first time may provide insights into how the soil science community adopts new ideas in scientific research.