Abstract Being critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, ... more Abstract Being critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, strengthening understanding of the properties and processes of soil at national and regional scales is imperative. The necessity to realize SDGs by 2030 also inspires a greater sense of responsibility and care for soils. Sustainable management of soil health is important to achieving several SDGs. Pertinent SDGs intricately connected with soil health include SDG 1 (End Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), 5 (Gender Equality), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 9 (Industry Innovation and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action), and 15 (Life on Land). Some of these SDGs rely considerably on plant production and others depend on soil processes. Pertinent among soil processes are water movement, heat transfer, sorption and physical filtration, ion exchange, and biochemical and biophysical transformations. In terms of specific accomplishments, 130 countries have aligned with the Zero Hunger Challenge, the globally available fresh water has decreased to 71% of needs, Technosols (soils whose formation is influenced by anthropogenic based materials) are used in urban ecosystems, food wastes are composted, specific targets of Land Degradation Neutrality have been signed by several countries, and soil C sequestration targets are widely implemented through initiatives such as the 4 Per Thousand (4P1000) initiative, Platform on Climate Action in Americas (PLACA), Adapting African Agriculture (AAA), Living Soils of the Americas (LiSAM), etc. In addition, policy and regulatory frameworks being widely promoted by several U.N. agencies (e.g., U.N. SDGs,limiting global warming to 1.5°C or 2 °C) can be supported by innovations in soil science including forensic soil science, remote sensing and other innovations. Soil health is becoming a central element of the research and innovation program of the EU, aiming to reach a 75% of healthy soils by 2030. In addition, the importance of soil health to human health and environmental issues is being widely promoted through educational books on soil science and secondary schools, as well as the revision of curricula. With continuous progress in movement into the digital world, transfer and communication of knowledge of the soil sciences can improve for the end users, policymakers, and the general public but additional efforts are needed. Soil science knowledge and research forms a significant contribution to specific aspects of food and nutritional security, human wellbeing, nature conservancy, and global peace and harmony. Achieving critical SDGs by 2030 can be facilitated by soil restoration and sustainable management.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the global food supply chain and exacerbated the problem of f... more The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the global food supply chain and exacerbated the problem of food and nutritional insecurity. Here we outline soil strategies to strengthen local food production systems, enhance their resilience, and create a circular economy focused on soil restoration through carbon sequestration, on-farm cycling of nutrients, minimizing environmental pollution, and contamination of food. Smart web-based geospatial decision support systems (S-DSSs) for land use planning and management is a useful tool for sustainable development. Forensic soil science can also contribute to cold case investigations, both in providing intelligence and evidence in court and in ascertaining the provenance and safety of food products. Soil can be used for the safe disposal of medical waste, but increased understanding is needed on the transfer of virus through pedosphere processes. Strengthening communication between soil scientists and policy makers and improving distance learning ...
Soil carbon storage is affected by particle-size fractions and Fe oxides. We assessed soil carbon... more Soil carbon storage is affected by particle-size fractions and Fe oxides. We assessed soil carbon concentrations in different particle-size fractions, determined the soil chemical composition of the soil, and weathering and mineralogy of sandy soils of the Wisconsin Central Sands, USA. Three land uses were studied (agriculture, forest, and prairie). The soils contained a minimum of 830 g sand kg−1 up to 190 cm soil depth. Approximately 46% of the sand was in the 250–500 μm fraction, and 5% was <125 μm. Soil carbon ranged from 5 to 13 g kg−1 in the topsoil, and decreased with depth. The <45 μm fraction tended to have high concentrations of carbon, ranging from 19 to 43 g kg−1 in the topsoil. Silicon content was over 191 g Si kg−1, and was lowest in the Bt horizons (191–224 g Si kg−1). Up to 29 g Fe kg−1 and 39 g Al kg−1 were present in the soil, and were highest in the Bt horizons. These soils were mostly quartz, and diopside was found throughout the soil profiles. Weathering i...
The role of soil organic carbon (SOC) in maintaining soil conditions and its resulting services i... more The role of soil organic carbon (SOC) in maintaining soil conditions and its resulting services is well established. Currently, over 1,000 articles per year are being published in peer-reviewed journals, and increasing at about 10% per year. It was not until the 1980s when the relation between soils and climate change was noted, and it was realized that soils play a key role as a sink and source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) ( Bouwman 1990, Scharpenseel, Ayoub and Schomaker 1990, Jenny 1980). A large number of research projects have been initiated globally in which soil C is a key component, and there have been some excellent reviews ( Lal 2004, Stockmann et al. 2013, Melillo et al. 2011). Yet, there is a lack of focus in soil C research in relation to current environmental challenges. Here we recommend research priorities to advance the knowledge base and use of soil C in relation to global human and environmental challenges: food and fiber production, water scarcity and purification,...
Soil variation was investigated in a Mollisol soil profile wall in south central Wisconsin, USA. ... more Soil variation was investigated in a Mollisol soil profile wall in south central Wisconsin, USA. The soil was classified as a fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Argiudolls. Data were collected from a 1 × 1 m soil profile wall that was divided into a 10 × 10 cm raster. The following measurements were made: volumetric moisture content, soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration, and elemental analysis of Al, Ca, Fe, Mn, P, Si, Ti, and Zr by portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). Spatial variation of soil properties was analyzed and mapped. All the soil properties demonstrated horizontal variation within the soil profile. The extent of horizontal variation changed with depth. The magnitude and direction of these changes showed no general pattern, differing between the soil properties. The SOC concentration showed constant horizontal variation at all depths except 70–80 cm. The soil pH demonstrated the lowest horizontal variation in the top 30 cm of the profile. The horizontal variation of Fe concentration tended to increase with depth. Soil property depth functions showed considerable variation between vertical transects. Only the SOC concentration and the soil pH demonstrated fairly consistent responses to changes in depth. The soil showed spatial variation within soil horizons. The soil pH and the Fe concentration showed low within-horizon variation in all soil horizons. SOC concentration showed moderate within-horizon variation in the Ap1 horizon and high within-horizon variation in the Bt horizon. Overall, the Bt horizon contained the greatest spatial variation. All soil horizons contained high within-horizon variation of at least one soil property. These results have some implications for sampling pedons.
Soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration differs by depth, soils, and distinct land uses. Differen... more Soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration differs by depth, soils, and distinct land uses. Different methods have been used to calculate SOC stocks, and here, we used data from 10 pedons from Southern Brazil to compare four methods: horizon values with discrete data, exponential function, equal-area exponential function, and equal-area quadratic spline function. SOC stocks were calculated up to 30 cm and 100 cm depth from (i) the original data, (ii) the standardized data based on equal mass, (iii) the standardized data based on equal mass minus coarse fragments (gravels). Results were compared calculating SOC stocks up to 30 and 100 cm depth. Discrete values by horizon produced mean SOC stocks for 30 and 100 cm depth of 6.9 and 14.6 kg/m2 for original values, 6.5 and 14.1 kg/m2 for standardized values by mass, and 6.3 and 13.5 kg/m2 for standardized values by mass minus gravels. Negative exponential functions produced mean values of 6.1 and 14.1 kg/m2 for original values, 5.6 and 13.3 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass, and 5.4 and 12.9 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass minus gravels. Equal-area exponential function had mean values of 7.1 and 14.5 kg/m2 for original values, 6.6 and 13.9 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass, and 6.4 and 13.5 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass minus gravels. Equal-area spline produced SOC averages of 6.8 and 14.7 kg/m2 for original values, 6.3 and 14.2 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass, and 6.1 and 13.7 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass minus gravels. From the comparison, we found that negative exponential functions produced lower SOC stocks than horizons in the upper layers and higher stocks than horizons in the lower layers; equal-area exponential produced SOC stocks that are statistically similar to horizon values; equal-area spline function produced values up to 30 cm depth statistically similar to horizon values and statistically different up to 100 cm depth. We can conclude that different methods for calculating SOC stocks by depth produce significantly different results and values derived from equal-area exponential and equal-area splines are more similar to those of the horizons.
There is a growing need for spatially continuous and quantitative soil information for environmen... more There is a growing need for spatially continuous and quantitative soil information for environmental modeling and management, especially at the national scale. This study was aimed at predicting soil particle‐size fractions (PSF) for Nigeria using random forest model (RFM). Equal‐area quadratic splines were fitted to Nigerian legacy soil profile data to estimate PSFs at six standard soil depths (0–5, 5–15, 15–30, 30–60, 60–100, and 100–200 cm) using the GlobalSoilMap project specification. We applied an additive log‐ratio (ALR) transformation of the PSFs. There was a better prediction performance (based on 33% model validation) in the upper depth intervals than the lower depth intervals (e.g., R2 of 0.53; RMSE of 13.59 g kg−1 for clay at 0–5 cm and R2 of 0.16; RMSE of 15.60 g kg−1 at 100–200 cm). Overall, the PSFs show marked variations across the entire Nigeria region with a higher sand content compared with silt and clay contents and increasing clay content with soil depth. The va...
Agriculture is the cornerstone of Rwanda's economy. The authors review how the sector has cha... more Agriculture is the cornerstone of Rwanda's economy. The authors review how the sector has changed and specifically what soil management practices are now being implemented to enhance coffee production. Coffee covers around 2.3% of total cultivated arable land, and is grown mainly by smallholder farmers on plots of less than one hectare. Rwanda produces high-quality speciality or fully washed coffee, which is intercropped with annual crops due to land scarcity to enable farmers to achieve a better combination of food and cash crops. Most of the agricultural soils have a pH of < 5.2 and are highly deficient in phosphorus. Reduced land fragmentation, increased organic and inorganic fertilizer applications and mulching are all needed to boost yields. These practices will also help to improve the soils' chemical and physical properties and control erosion on the steep cultivated slopes.
In this book, research on soil C is presented from different parts of the world, and from the fun... more In this book, research on soil C is presented from different parts of the world, and from the fundamental aspects all the way to its management at a range of temporal and spatial scales. Here we summarize a set of priorities and these are loosely grouped in: Research priorities in soil C in space and time; Research priorities in soil C properties and processes, and research priorities in Soil C use and management. A list is presented that focuses on monitoring, assessment and upscaling as well as the biochemistry and role of soil structure in the sequestration of soil C. The effect of fire, black carbon, deep carbon and hydrophobicity as well as depth distribution are important research priorities. The relation between soil C and agronomic productivity are discussed in the context of sustainable intensification for advancing global food security. Lastly, some considerations are discussed how linkages with other disciplines might enhance the impact of the soil science community in soil C research.
Abstract Being critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, ... more Abstract Being critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, strengthening understanding of the properties and processes of soil at national and regional scales is imperative. The necessity to realize SDGs by 2030 also inspires a greater sense of responsibility and care for soils. Sustainable management of soil health is important to achieving several SDGs. Pertinent SDGs intricately connected with soil health include SDG 1 (End Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), 5 (Gender Equality), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 9 (Industry Innovation and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action), and 15 (Life on Land). Some of these SDGs rely considerably on plant production and others depend on soil processes. Pertinent among soil processes are water movement, heat transfer, sorption and physical filtration, ion exchange, and biochemical and biophysical transformations. In terms of specific accomplishments, 130 countries have aligned with the Zero Hunger Challenge, the globally available fresh water has decreased to 71% of needs, Technosols (soils whose formation is influenced by anthropogenic based materials) are used in urban ecosystems, food wastes are composted, specific targets of Land Degradation Neutrality have been signed by several countries, and soil C sequestration targets are widely implemented through initiatives such as the 4 Per Thousand (4P1000) initiative, Platform on Climate Action in Americas (PLACA), Adapting African Agriculture (AAA), Living Soils of the Americas (LiSAM), etc. In addition, policy and regulatory frameworks being widely promoted by several U.N. agencies (e.g., U.N. SDGs,limiting global warming to 1.5°C or 2 °C) can be supported by innovations in soil science including forensic soil science, remote sensing and other innovations. Soil health is becoming a central element of the research and innovation program of the EU, aiming to reach a 75% of healthy soils by 2030. In addition, the importance of soil health to human health and environmental issues is being widely promoted through educational books on soil science and secondary schools, as well as the revision of curricula. With continuous progress in movement into the digital world, transfer and communication of knowledge of the soil sciences can improve for the end users, policymakers, and the general public but additional efforts are needed. Soil science knowledge and research forms a significant contribution to specific aspects of food and nutritional security, human wellbeing, nature conservancy, and global peace and harmony. Achieving critical SDGs by 2030 can be facilitated by soil restoration and sustainable management.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the global food supply chain and exacerbated the problem of f... more The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the global food supply chain and exacerbated the problem of food and nutritional insecurity. Here we outline soil strategies to strengthen local food production systems, enhance their resilience, and create a circular economy focused on soil restoration through carbon sequestration, on-farm cycling of nutrients, minimizing environmental pollution, and contamination of food. Smart web-based geospatial decision support systems (S-DSSs) for land use planning and management is a useful tool for sustainable development. Forensic soil science can also contribute to cold case investigations, both in providing intelligence and evidence in court and in ascertaining the provenance and safety of food products. Soil can be used for the safe disposal of medical waste, but increased understanding is needed on the transfer of virus through pedosphere processes. Strengthening communication between soil scientists and policy makers and improving distance learning ...
Soil carbon storage is affected by particle-size fractions and Fe oxides. We assessed soil carbon... more Soil carbon storage is affected by particle-size fractions and Fe oxides. We assessed soil carbon concentrations in different particle-size fractions, determined the soil chemical composition of the soil, and weathering and mineralogy of sandy soils of the Wisconsin Central Sands, USA. Three land uses were studied (agriculture, forest, and prairie). The soils contained a minimum of 830 g sand kg−1 up to 190 cm soil depth. Approximately 46% of the sand was in the 250–500 μm fraction, and 5% was <125 μm. Soil carbon ranged from 5 to 13 g kg−1 in the topsoil, and decreased with depth. The <45 μm fraction tended to have high concentrations of carbon, ranging from 19 to 43 g kg−1 in the topsoil. Silicon content was over 191 g Si kg−1, and was lowest in the Bt horizons (191–224 g Si kg−1). Up to 29 g Fe kg−1 and 39 g Al kg−1 were present in the soil, and were highest in the Bt horizons. These soils were mostly quartz, and diopside was found throughout the soil profiles. Weathering i...
The role of soil organic carbon (SOC) in maintaining soil conditions and its resulting services i... more The role of soil organic carbon (SOC) in maintaining soil conditions and its resulting services is well established. Currently, over 1,000 articles per year are being published in peer-reviewed journals, and increasing at about 10% per year. It was not until the 1980s when the relation between soils and climate change was noted, and it was realized that soils play a key role as a sink and source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) ( Bouwman 1990, Scharpenseel, Ayoub and Schomaker 1990, Jenny 1980). A large number of research projects have been initiated globally in which soil C is a key component, and there have been some excellent reviews ( Lal 2004, Stockmann et al. 2013, Melillo et al. 2011). Yet, there is a lack of focus in soil C research in relation to current environmental challenges. Here we recommend research priorities to advance the knowledge base and use of soil C in relation to global human and environmental challenges: food and fiber production, water scarcity and purification,...
Soil variation was investigated in a Mollisol soil profile wall in south central Wisconsin, USA. ... more Soil variation was investigated in a Mollisol soil profile wall in south central Wisconsin, USA. The soil was classified as a fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Argiudolls. Data were collected from a 1 × 1 m soil profile wall that was divided into a 10 × 10 cm raster. The following measurements were made: volumetric moisture content, soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration, and elemental analysis of Al, Ca, Fe, Mn, P, Si, Ti, and Zr by portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). Spatial variation of soil properties was analyzed and mapped. All the soil properties demonstrated horizontal variation within the soil profile. The extent of horizontal variation changed with depth. The magnitude and direction of these changes showed no general pattern, differing between the soil properties. The SOC concentration showed constant horizontal variation at all depths except 70–80 cm. The soil pH demonstrated the lowest horizontal variation in the top 30 cm of the profile. The horizontal variation of Fe concentration tended to increase with depth. Soil property depth functions showed considerable variation between vertical transects. Only the SOC concentration and the soil pH demonstrated fairly consistent responses to changes in depth. The soil showed spatial variation within soil horizons. The soil pH and the Fe concentration showed low within-horizon variation in all soil horizons. SOC concentration showed moderate within-horizon variation in the Ap1 horizon and high within-horizon variation in the Bt horizon. Overall, the Bt horizon contained the greatest spatial variation. All soil horizons contained high within-horizon variation of at least one soil property. These results have some implications for sampling pedons.
Soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration differs by depth, soils, and distinct land uses. Differen... more Soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration differs by depth, soils, and distinct land uses. Different methods have been used to calculate SOC stocks, and here, we used data from 10 pedons from Southern Brazil to compare four methods: horizon values with discrete data, exponential function, equal-area exponential function, and equal-area quadratic spline function. SOC stocks were calculated up to 30 cm and 100 cm depth from (i) the original data, (ii) the standardized data based on equal mass, (iii) the standardized data based on equal mass minus coarse fragments (gravels). Results were compared calculating SOC stocks up to 30 and 100 cm depth. Discrete values by horizon produced mean SOC stocks for 30 and 100 cm depth of 6.9 and 14.6 kg/m2 for original values, 6.5 and 14.1 kg/m2 for standardized values by mass, and 6.3 and 13.5 kg/m2 for standardized values by mass minus gravels. Negative exponential functions produced mean values of 6.1 and 14.1 kg/m2 for original values, 5.6 and 13.3 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass, and 5.4 and 12.9 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass minus gravels. Equal-area exponential function had mean values of 7.1 and 14.5 kg/m2 for original values, 6.6 and 13.9 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass, and 6.4 and 13.5 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass minus gravels. Equal-area spline produced SOC averages of 6.8 and 14.7 kg/m2 for original values, 6.3 and 14.2 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass, and 6.1 and 13.7 kg/m2 for standardized values by equal mass minus gravels. From the comparison, we found that negative exponential functions produced lower SOC stocks than horizons in the upper layers and higher stocks than horizons in the lower layers; equal-area exponential produced SOC stocks that are statistically similar to horizon values; equal-area spline function produced values up to 30 cm depth statistically similar to horizon values and statistically different up to 100 cm depth. We can conclude that different methods for calculating SOC stocks by depth produce significantly different results and values derived from equal-area exponential and equal-area splines are more similar to those of the horizons.
There is a growing need for spatially continuous and quantitative soil information for environmen... more There is a growing need for spatially continuous and quantitative soil information for environmental modeling and management, especially at the national scale. This study was aimed at predicting soil particle‐size fractions (PSF) for Nigeria using random forest model (RFM). Equal‐area quadratic splines were fitted to Nigerian legacy soil profile data to estimate PSFs at six standard soil depths (0–5, 5–15, 15–30, 30–60, 60–100, and 100–200 cm) using the GlobalSoilMap project specification. We applied an additive log‐ratio (ALR) transformation of the PSFs. There was a better prediction performance (based on 33% model validation) in the upper depth intervals than the lower depth intervals (e.g., R2 of 0.53; RMSE of 13.59 g kg−1 for clay at 0–5 cm and R2 of 0.16; RMSE of 15.60 g kg−1 at 100–200 cm). Overall, the PSFs show marked variations across the entire Nigeria region with a higher sand content compared with silt and clay contents and increasing clay content with soil depth. The va...
Agriculture is the cornerstone of Rwanda's economy. The authors review how the sector has cha... more Agriculture is the cornerstone of Rwanda's economy. The authors review how the sector has changed and specifically what soil management practices are now being implemented to enhance coffee production. Coffee covers around 2.3% of total cultivated arable land, and is grown mainly by smallholder farmers on plots of less than one hectare. Rwanda produces high-quality speciality or fully washed coffee, which is intercropped with annual crops due to land scarcity to enable farmers to achieve a better combination of food and cash crops. Most of the agricultural soils have a pH of < 5.2 and are highly deficient in phosphorus. Reduced land fragmentation, increased organic and inorganic fertilizer applications and mulching are all needed to boost yields. These practices will also help to improve the soils' chemical and physical properties and control erosion on the steep cultivated slopes.
In this book, research on soil C is presented from different parts of the world, and from the fun... more In this book, research on soil C is presented from different parts of the world, and from the fundamental aspects all the way to its management at a range of temporal and spatial scales. Here we summarize a set of priorities and these are loosely grouped in: Research priorities in soil C in space and time; Research priorities in soil C properties and processes, and research priorities in Soil C use and management. A list is presented that focuses on monitoring, assessment and upscaling as well as the biochemistry and role of soil structure in the sequestration of soil C. The effect of fire, black carbon, deep carbon and hydrophobicity as well as depth distribution are important research priorities. The relation between soil C and agronomic productivity are discussed in the context of sustainable intensification for advancing global food security. Lastly, some considerations are discussed how linkages with other disciplines might enhance the impact of the soil science community in soil C research.
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Papers by Alfred E. Hartemink