On this day, 49 years ago, on April 2, 1976 (March 3, 1976, the lunar calendar), Ma Rongzhi, one of the founders of soil geography in China, passed away. Ma Rongzhi, a famous pedologist, is one of the founders of soil geography in my country. A large amount of research work and organizational leadership work have been carried out in the fields of soil survey and mapping, soil zoning, soil classification and geographical distribution, paleosol, quaternary strata origin, soil and water conservation, and natural resource exploration, etc., making contributions to the development of soil science in my country. Important contribution. Ma Rongzhi (1908-1976), also known as Yueting, was born on November 25, 1908 in Xinan Village, Ding County, Hebei Province. Graduated from the Department of Geology and Geography of Yanjing University in 1933. 1934-1952 In 1965, he served as technical director and director of the Soil Research Office of the Central Geological Survey; from 1953 to 1965, he served as researcher and director of the Institute of Soil, China Academy of Sciences, during which he participated in and led the national soil census work from 1958 to 1960; from 1965 to 1972, he served as researcher and deputy director of the Comprehensive Investigation Committee of the China Academy of Sciences; 1972-1976 He was a researcher at the Institute of Geography, China Academy of Sciences in 1999. He has successively served as the captain of the Comprehensive Investigation Team of Soil and Water Conservation in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River of China Academy of Sciences, the deputy captain of the Comprehensive Investigation Team of Qinghai and Gansu Regions of China Academy of Sciences, and the captain of the Comprehensive Investigation Team of Ningmeng Region of China Academy of Sciences; director, executive director and chairman of China Soil Society, and editor-in-chief of the Soil Society; Member of the Natural Regions Working Committee of China, member of the Quaternary Research Committee of China Academy of Sciences, leader of the Soil and Fertilizer Research Group of China Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and member of the Biology Group of the Science and Technology Commission of the People's Republic of China. He joined the Jiusan Society in 1951 and the Communist Party of China in 1957. He served as a representative of the 12th Jiangsu Province People's Congress and a representative of the 3rd National People's Congress. He died of illness in Beijing on April 2, 1976 at the age of 68. Ma Rongzhi loved literature during college. After entering the Geological Survey, he turned to love geography work. He is active in thought and brave in pioneering, and devoted his life to the research of soil geography. He is the founder of modern soil geography research in China and a pioneer in soil and water conservation. In 1957, the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of the German Democratic Republic awarded him the title of Correspondence Academician. He led delegations to participate in international soil science congresses many times and visited soil research institutions in many countries. His outstanding contribution to soil geography research has been praised by scholars at home and abroad.