2
The History of Soil Mapping and Research
Mukhtar M. Elaalem, Hamdi A. Zurqani, and Khaled R. Ben Mahmoud
Abstract
In this chapter, the authors outline the development of
historical soil knowledge, education, and research in
Libya. In addition, they reviewed the soil institutes and
universities conducting research on soil science. This
review has shown that Libya's capacity to absorb new
technologies is now greater than before. Due to the
continuous rise in educational levels, Libya is more
integrated than ever in advanced science and technical
education systems, competing with more advanced
countries in modern technologies. Soil resource studies
and mapping in Libya which have been carried out in the
last decades have been discussed in detail. Extensive
soil studies were given mainly to areas with high and
medium potential for agriculture in the northern part of
the Libyan Coastal zone and to only small, scattered areas
in the southern desert. Research projects in Libya and
achievements in the field of Soil Mapping are reviewed at
the end of this chapter. Soil taxonomic units of Libya and
their major properties are found in Chap. 3.
Keywords
Soil survey Á Soil education Á Soil mapping Á Soil
research Á Pedology Á Libya Á North Africa
2.1 Introduction
When talking about the history of the development of
knowledge in the field of agriculture in Libya, especially in
one of its important branches in the field of soil resources, it
must be noted that Libya was an Italian colony for 32 years
and did not become independent as a state ruled by the
Libyans until 1952. That is why there were no serious
attempts to develop agricultural knowledge and establish
specialized institutions or Libyan cadres before the independence period. This does not mean that we ignore the
traditional knowledge that the local people have accumulated from farmers and shepherds throughout the distant
history or the experience of Italian colonialism (1911–1945)
in the agricultural development in the north-west and
north-east regions during the Italian agricultural settlement.
Given the extreme poverty that Libya suffered from after
independence in the 1950s, the Libyan government could
not do much in the area of developing the agricultural sector
in a country that lacks specialized institutions and scientific
cadres, and so heavily relied on foreign aids from a number
of governments and international organizations.
The young Libyan government began establishing a
ministry of agriculture and some medium agricultural institutes as well as sending a limited number of scholarships for
university studies abroad. The financial situation continued
to the mid of 1960s, that is, after the discovery of oil in
Libya and the beginning of exports, allowed the Libyan
economy to improve. Then, Libya began to make great
strides in all areas of economic and social development, and
agriculture gained ample benefits from that effort. The Faculty of Agriculture was established at the University of
Tripoli in 1966 and gradually began to develop in the field
of studies and scientific research in all fields of agriculture,
especially soil resources. In the beginning, it was done with
the help of non-Libyan experts in all institutions of the
Ministry of Agriculture and Faculties of Agriculture, and
then beginning in the 1970s, contracts were made with some
M. M. Elaalem Á H. A. Zurqani (&) Á K. R. Ben Mahmoud
Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Tripoli, Tripoli, 13538, Libya
e-mail: h.zurqani@uot.edu.ly
M. M. Elaalem
e-mail: M.Elaalem@uot.edu.ly
K. R. Ben Mahmoud
e-mail: benmahmoud.kh@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
H. A. Zurqani (ed.), The Soils of Libya, World Soils Book Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66368-1_2
13
The History of Soil Mapping and Research
Mukhtar M. Elaalem, Hamdi A. Zurqani, and Khaled R. Ben Mahmoud
Abstract
In this chapter, the authors outline the development of
historical soil knowledge, education, and research in
Libya. In addition, they reviewed the soil institutes and
universities conducting research on soil science. This
review has shown that Libya's capacity to absorb new
technologies is now greater than before. Due to the
continuous rise in educational levels, Libya is more
integrated than ever in advanced science and technical
education systems, competing with more advanced
countries in modern technologies. Soil resource studies
and mapping in Libya which have been carried out in the
last decades have been discussed in detail. Extensive
soil studies were given mainly to areas with high and
medium potential for agriculture in the northern part of
the Libyan Coastal zone and to only small, scattered areas
in the southern desert. Research projects in Libya and
achievements in the field of Soil Mapping are reviewed at
the end of this chapter. Soil taxonomic units of Libya and
their major properties are found in Chap. 3.
Keywords
Soil survey Á Soil education Á Soil mapping Á Soil
research Á Pedology Á Libya Á North Africa
2.1 Introduction
When talking about the history of the development of
knowledge in the field of agriculture in Libya, especially in
one of its important branches in the field of soil resources, it
must be noted that Libya was an Italian colony for 32 years
and did not become independent as a state ruled by the
Libyans until 1952. That is why there were no serious
attempts to develop agricultural knowledge and establish
specialized institutions or Libyan cadres before the independence period. This does not mean that we ignore the
traditional knowledge that the local people have accumulated from farmers and shepherds throughout the distant
history or the experience of Italian colonialism (1911–1945)
in the agricultural development in the north-west and
north-east regions during the Italian agricultural settlement.
Given the extreme poverty that Libya suffered from after
independence in the 1950s, the Libyan government could
not do much in the area of developing the agricultural sector
in a country that lacks specialized institutions and scientific
cadres, and so heavily relied on foreign aids from a number
of governments and international organizations.
The young Libyan government began establishing a
ministry of agriculture and some medium agricultural institutes as well as sending a limited number of scholarships for
university studies abroad. The financial situation continued
to the mid of 1960s, that is, after the discovery of oil in
Libya and the beginning of exports, allowed the Libyan
economy to improve. Then, Libya began to make great
strides in all areas of economic and social development, and
agriculture gained ample benefits from that effort. The Faculty of Agriculture was established at the University of
Tripoli in 1966 and gradually began to develop in the field
of studies and scientific research in all fields of agriculture,
especially soil resources. In the beginning, it was done with
the help of non-Libyan experts in all institutions of the
Ministry of Agriculture and Faculties of Agriculture, and
then beginning in the 1970s, contracts were made with some
M. M. Elaalem Á H. A. Zurqani (&) Á K. R. Ben Mahmoud
Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Tripoli, Tripoli, 13538, Libya
e-mail: h.zurqani@uot.edu.ly
M. M. Elaalem
e-mail: M.Elaalem@uot.edu.ly
K. R. Ben Mahmoud
e-mail: benmahmoud.kh@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
H. A. Zurqani (ed.), The Soils of Libya, World Soils Book Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66368-1_2
13