ABSTRACT
From the beginning mankind has always exploited the natural resources of the earth. As Beek (1978) puts it: ‘people have always been on the look out for land that suits their purposes: for building shelters, for providing food and fibre, for protection against wild animals’ and ‘land that was unsuitable was left idle as long as possible’. Soil has to be regarded as the main natural resource since it provides food, directly or indirectly. Consequently, the possibilities of soil for agricultural purposes have occupied mankind for a long time. For example 4000 years ago agricultural suitability of soil was used to establish a tax system in China. People were interested not in the soil itself but in its value for a certain use.
