Pedology is also called "soil science". It is the study of soils, including their chemical and physical properties as they are in their natural environment. It is also one of the two branches of soil science, the other being edaphology. Pedology also encompasses the study of the microbiology of the soil and its physics. Within the viticultural industry, pedology allows vineyard owners to study the growing potential of soil on their land and develop terroir profile goals based on the soil's characteristics.