Pedometrics is a new branch of soil science,which originated and developed in Europe,Australia and America over the last 30 to 40 years.The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) had its Pedometrics Commission established following the 17th World Congress of Soil Science in 2002.This commission,together with others (e.g.soil geography,soil genesis,and soil classification),belongs to the first division of the IUSS (Soils in Space and Time).In this paper,attempts are made to introduce the theoretical and technical backgrounds of the genesis of Pedometrics and the course of its development and summarize and discuss works that have been done in this aspect in China.