<\/p>\n
IUSS\u00a0viewpoints on YouTube<\/p>\n
In the beginning of each month a Viewpoint on soil issues from the desk of Rattan Lal,\u00a0IUSS\u00a0president, is published on the\u00a0IUSS\u00a0website, so far covering the following issues: Medical Pedology: An Emerging Discipline in Soil Science; Ex Nihilo Nihil Fit; Soil: The Hidden Treasure of Nature; We Are A Soil; The Glamour of Soil Science and Soil Degradation: The Case of Human Parasitism.<\/p>\n
The viewpoints on soil issues can also be watched on the\u00a0IUSS\u00a0YouTube channel:\u00a0https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCX3cdAuO5QrPx0EtDPahQcg<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 21st World Congress of Soil Science in Rio<\/p>\n The Scientific Programme (Conferences, Interdivisional, Divisional, Working groups, Poster, Voluntary and Technical\/Innovation sessions) as well as information about special events of this major soil science event to be held 12-17 August is now available! <\/p>\n IUSS\u00a0participates in\u00a0ICSU\u00a0Grant Project \u201cTROP-ICSU\u201d \u2013 request for input<\/p>\n TROP-ICSU\u00a0stands for Trans-disciplinary Research Oriented Pedagogy for Improving Climate Studies and Understanding. As already reported in previous Alerts, the project aims to improve awareness of climate change and the science behind it among students and the general public by developing teaching aids for teachers and science communication modules for the general public.<\/p>\n Within the framework of this project,\u00a0IUSS\u00a0is helping to carry out a preliminary survey among educators on Teaching Toolkits for school and undergraduate teachers (educators) to understand how topics related to climate change are currently discussed in the classroom in different parts of the world. This survey, which is available in English, Catalan, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese Portuguese, and Spanish should take approximately 8-10 minutes to complete. Responses will be treated as confidential and will be used for our research purposes in the project only.\u00a0IUSS\u00a0should be very grateful for your input.<\/p>\n Complete the online survey:\u00a0https:\/\/tropicsu.org\/educators-survey\/ <\/p>\n Progress with the\u00a0IUSS\u00a0book on Global Soil Proverbs<\/p>\n In 2018 \u2013 on World Soil Day (5th Dec.) \u2013\u00a0IUSS\u00a0intends to publish a book on Global Soil Proverbs which is part of the book series launched during the International Decade of Soils 2015 \u2013 2024. At the time of writing this Alert, 35 letters of intent to submit a chapter on proverbs have been submitted. We very much appreciate this engagement and are looking forward to receiving the chapters until end of June.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jon Hempel (\u20202018)<\/p>\n Jon Hempel retired as the Director of the National Soil Survey Center for the US Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Lincoln, NE with 32 years of Federal Service. <\/p>\n General News<\/p>\n GSP\u00a0Special Announcement: Zero-draft Code of Conduct for the Use and Management of Fertilizers \u2013 Online Consultation<\/p>\n After an online consultation between 21 December 2017 and 11 February 2018 and with the support of an open-ended working group (OEWG) of fertilizer experts, the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) produced a zero-draft International Code of Conduct for the Use and Management of Fertilizers.<\/p>\n While many\u00a0GSP\u00a0member countries agreed to endorse the Fertilizer Code in its current form and present it to the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) in October 2018, some members felt that the document could be improved and would benefit from further stakeholder engagement and consultation, thus, ensuring the Code of Conduct will be truly relevant and have the maximum effect and buy in from all.\u00a0FAO\/GSP are therefore holding a second online consultation to gather comments and feedback on the current draft Fertilizer Code of Conduct and use this feedback to fine-tune it.<\/p>\n Please provide your feedback and comments by Sunday 15th July, 2018.<\/p>\n Online survey:\u00a0http:\/\/www.fao.org\/fsnforum\/activities\/discussions\/CoCoFe_II<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n CountrySIS \u2013 Soil Information Survey<\/p>\n The Pillar 4 of the Global Soil Partnership is working on improving quality and accessibility of soil information worldwide. One of our primary objectives is to support the countries in establishing, harmonizing and bringing together their own soil information systems and data products. In order to plan further activities and projects in accordance with the needs and capacities of all country members, we kindly ask you to participate in the survey, concerning current status of soil information in your country.<\/p>\n The deadline for the submission is 15th of July 2018!<\/p>\n Please distribute the form to all relevant experts\/institutions which are collecting and maintaining soil information in your country. In case of multiple soil databases \/ information systems in your country, please submit a separate form for each database\/information system (multiple forms may be submitted from the same country). In case your country doesn\u2019t have a soil database \/ information system, please fill-in the form anyway (there is a corresponding option).<\/p>\n By providing the comprehensive information through the survey, you will ensure that your country is taken into account in the\u00a0GSP\u00a0planning for soil data related projects for the upcoming years. The summary of the survey results will be published on the\u00a0GSP\u00a0website.<\/p>\n To access the survey, please use the following link:\u00a0https:\/\/goo.gl\/forms\/OU1lRhn2FNtQyod72<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Call for manuscripts \u201cTechnological and Methodological Advances in Measuring, Mapping and Monitoring Soil Carbon and Nutrients in Space and Spacetime\u201d Special issue in Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems Journal<\/p>\n (https:\/\/link.springer.com\/journal\/10705<\/a>) We aim at producing a special issue listing good practice examples of how novel technologies such as soil sensing and image recognition, automated sensor networks, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and publicly available remote sensing products (such as\u00a0NASA\u2019s Landsat 7 & 8 and\u00a0ASTER\u00a0missions,\u00a0ESA\u2019s Sentinel 2 and other Copernicus land products,\u00a0JAXA\u2019s Advanced Land Observing Satellite\u00a0ALOS, LiDAR, TanDEMx and similar missions), in combination with statistical \/ machine learning, data mining and high performance computing, can be used to generate most accurate maps of soil carbon and soil nutrients in space and spacetime. Important dates:<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0http:\/\/opengeohub.org\/#SI.NutrientMapping<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fast methods for predicting the soil-water retention curve<\/p>\n The soil-water retention curve is essential for understanding and modeling water and solute transport in the vadose zone and water availability for plants. However, measuring the soil-water retention curve is highly time-consuming and a fast and accurate method to predict it is needed. In an upcoming issue of the Vadose Zone Journal, researchers developed models to predict the soil-water retention curve using visible\u2212near infrared spectroscopy and a soil fines (soil clay-size fraction and organic matter) based pedotransfer function, covering a wide range of soil texture, from sandy to loamy soils, and organic matter contents.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0https:\/\/www.soils.org\/science-policy\/sspr\/2018-05-30\/?_cldee=sigbert.huber@umweltbundesamt.at#5757 <\/p>\n UK farmers to be given first ever targets on soil health<\/p>\n A new bill will be brought before parliament this year mandating, for the first time, measures and targets to preserve and improve the health of the UK\u2019s soils, amid growing concern that we are\u00a0sleepwalking into a crisis of soil fertility<\/a>\u00a0that could destroy our ability to feed ourselves. Read more:\u00a0https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2018\/mar\/13\/uk-farmers-to-be-given-first-ever-targets-on-soil-health<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Organic matter preserved in 3-billion-year-old mudstones at Gale crater, Mars<\/p>\n The Curiosity rover has been sampling on Mars for the past 5 years. Eigenbrode et al. used two instruments in the\u00a0SAM\u00a0(Sample Analysis at Mars) suite to catch traces of complex organics preserved in 3-billion-year-old sediments. Heating the sediments released an array of organics and volatiles reminiscent of organic-rich sedimentary rock found on Earth. Most methane on Earth is produced by biological sources, but numerous abiotic processes have been proposed to explain Martian methane. Webster et al. report atmospheric measurements of methane covering 3 Martian years and found that the background level varies with the local seasons. The seasonal variation provides an important clue for determining the origin of Martian methane.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0http:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/360\/6393\/1096<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Environment and host as large-scale controls of ectomycorrhizal fungi<\/p>\n Explaining the large-scale diversity of soil organisms that drive biogeochemical processes\u2014and their responses to environmental change\u2014is critical. However, identifying consistent drivers of belowground diversity and abundance for some soil organisms at large spatial scales remains problematic. Here we investigate a major guild, the ectomycorrhizal fungi, across European forests at a spatial scale and resolution that is\u2014to our knowledge\u2014unprecedented, to explore key biotic and abiotic predictors of ectomycorrhizal diversity and to identify dominant responses and thresholds for change across complex environmental gradients. We show the effect of 38 host, environment, climate and geographical variables on ectomycorrhizal diversity, and define thresholds of community change for key variables. We quantify host specificity and reveal plasticity in functional traits involved in soil foraging across gradients. We conclude that environmental and host factors explain most of the variation in ectomycorrhizal diversity that the environmental thresholds used as major ecosystem assessment tools need adjustment and that the importance of belowground specificity and plasticity has previously been underappreciated.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-018-0189-9<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Conferences, Meetings and Workshops<\/p>\n 2018<\/p>\n Preventing and Remediating Degradation of Soils in Europe \u2013\u00a0RECARE\u00a0Final Policy Conference<\/p>\n 27 September 2018, Brussels, Belgium. Despite the wide recognition of the importance of soils, soil protection efforts in European Union have been partial, fragmented and insufficient to halt their degradation. Calls for improving this situation have increasingly come from scientists, policymakers, non-governmental organisations and citizens. The discussions and negotiations around the design of European policies for post-2020 period offer the opportunity to improve the current situation.<\/p>\n Website:\u00a0https:\/\/www.recare-hub.eu\/tools-and-outputs\/final-policy-conference <\/p>\n International Conference Contaminated Sites 2018<\/p>\n 8 \u2013 10 October 2018, Bansk\u00e1 Bystrica, Slovak Republic.<\/p>\n Deadline for abstract submission: 30 July 2018. Contaminated sites have become one of the most serious environmental issues facing the European Union and involving enormous financial and social implications. The conference aims to provide a wide space for discussion, knowledge exchange among experts from government and non-government organizations, public and private sector, praxis, science and academic sector.<\/p>\n Download 1st Circular:\u00a0https:\/\/www.iuss.org\/media\/cirkular_1_2018.pdf <\/p>\n International Soil Modelling Consortium Conference<\/p>\n 5-7 November, 2018, Wageningen. Seven sessions highlight the advances in soil modelling during the\u00a0ISMC\u00a0Conference 2018. The deadline for submission of abstracts in one of the 7 sessions is 15 June.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0https:\/\/soil-modeling.org\/ismc-conference\/ismc-conference<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Australian National Soils Conference 2018<\/p>\n 18 \u2013 23 November 2018, Canberra, Australia.\u00a0SOIL: The key to the Past, the Present and the Future. If the world\u2019s soil resources are to meet future human needs we must plan for and adapt to changes. To achieve greater sustainability of soil resources we need to explore the lessons of the past, reflect on the present and develop concrete plans and goals for the future. Read more:\u00a0http:\/\/www.soilscienceconference.org.au<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2019<\/p>\n SSA\u00a0International Soils Meeting \u201cSoils Across Latitudes\u201d<\/p>\n January 6-9, 2019, San Diego, California,\u00a0USA.<\/p>\n collaboration with other North American Soil Science Societies, The Soil Science Society of America will host scientists, professionals, educators, and students at the\u00a0SSSA\u00a0International Soils Meeting. \u201cSoils Across Latitudes\u201d will be held Jan. 6-9, 2019, in San Diego, California in collaboration with the Canadian Society of Soil Science and the Mexican Society of Soil Science.<\/p>\n Website:\u00a0https:\/\/www.sacmeetings.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n LuWQ2019 \u2014 4th International Interdisciplinary Conference on\u00a0LAND\u00a0USE\u00a0AND\u00a0WATER\u00a0QUALITY: Agriculture and the Environment<\/p>\n June 3-6, 2019, Aarhus, Denmark. A conference on the cutting edge of science, management and policy to minimise effects of agriculture and land use changes on the quality of groundwater and surface waters. Target groups (professionals, fields of expertise, audience) are scientists, managers and policy makers involved in the policy cycle for water quality improvement.<\/p>\n Abstract submission deadline: 15 October 2018<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0http:\/\/www.luwq2019.dk<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n New publications<\/p>\n Field to Palette: Dialogues on Soil and Art in the Anthropocene<\/p>\n Edited by Alexandra Toland, Jay Stratton Noller and Gerd Wessolek. (Forthcoming by\u00a0CRC\u00a0Press, October 2018).<\/p>\n Field to Palette: Dialogues on Soil and Art in the Anthropocene<\/i>\u00a0is an investigation of the cultural meanings, representations, and values of soil in a time of planetary change. In addition to full color images of artworks, the book weaves together different disciplinary perspectives in a collection of dialogue texts between artists and scientists, interviews by the editors and invited curators, essays by earth scientists and humanities scholars, soil recipes, maps, and\u00a0DIY\u00a0experiments. With contributions from over 100 internationally renowned researchers and practitioners,\u00a0Field to Palette<\/i>\u00a0presents a set of visual methodologies and worldviews that expand our understanding of soil and encourage readers to develop their own creative interpretations of the ground beneath our feet.<\/p>\n The title of the book,\u00a0Field to Palette<\/i>, honours grassroots social organizing and locally controlled food production methods championed by \u201cfield to plate\u201d movements worldwide. It is also a call to action for increased interdisciplinary collaboration between the fields of agriculture and geosciences and the arts and humanities. Framed within the larger discourse of the Anthropocene, the book critically reflects upon some of the most challenging environmental problems of our time, including land take, groundwater pollution, desertification, and biodiversity loss. It is at the same time a celebration of earthy resilience in the face of such challenges. By bringing together a chorus of seemingly disparate voices, new insight on the material properties, cultural histories, and ecological and social functions of the soil emerge.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Global Soil Organic Carbon Map (GSOCmap)<\/p>\n By the Global Soil Partnership. Published in 2018 by\u00a0FAO, Rome, Italy. 167 pages,\u00a0ISBN: 978-92-5-130439-6, the book can be downloaded for free from the\u00a0FAO\u00a0website (see link below).<\/p>\n GSOCmap is the first global soil organic carbon map ever produced through a consultative and participatory process involving member countries, which makes this map totally new and unique. In fact, the map was prepared by member countries, under the guidance of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils and the Global Soil Partnership Secretariat. Countries agreed on the methodology to produce the map and were trained on modern tools and methodologies to develop national maps. The Global Soil Partnership then gathered all national maps to produce the final product, ensuring a thorough harmonization process.<\/p>\n This technical report is a companion report to the\u00a0GSOCmap V1.2.0. It presents methodologies and process of compiling the Global Soil organic Carbon Map.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0http:\/\/www.fao.org\/documents\/card\/en\/c\/I8891EN<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Soil Organic Carbon Mapping Cookbook 2nd Edition<\/p>\n By\u00a0FAO\u00a0\/ Global Soil Partnership. Published in 2018 by\u00a0FAO, Rome, Italy. 200 pages,\u00a0ISBN: 978-92-5-130440-2, the book can be downloaded for free from the\u00a0FAO\u00a0website (see link below).<\/p>\n The Soil Organic Carbon Mapping cookbook provides a step-by-step guidance for developing 1 km grids for soil carbon stocks. It includes the preparation of local soil data, the compilation and pre-processing of ancillary spatial data sets, upscaling methodologies, and uncertainty assessments. Guidance is mainly specific to soil carbon data, but also contains many generic sections on soil grid development, as it is relevant for other soil properties. Read more:\u00a0http:\/\/www.fao.org\/documents\/card\/en\/c\/I8895EN\/<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Soil pollution: a hidden reality<\/p>\n By\u00a0FAO. Published in 2018 by\u00a0FAO, Rome, Italy. 156 pages,\u00a0ISBN: 978-92-5-130505-8, the book can be downloaded for free from the\u00a0FAO\u00a0website (see link below). Read more:\u00a0http:\/\/www.fao.org\/documents\/card\/en\/c\/I9183EN<\/a><\/p>\n This document will be a reference material for those interested in learning more about sources and effects of soil pollution.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our land 2018 at a glance<\/p>\n Published jointly by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ in the series New Zealand\u2019s Environmental Reporting in April 2018. The report can be downloaded for free (see link below).<\/p>\n This is the first report focused solely on land in the environmental reporting series begun in 2015. Our land 2018 reports on the state of the soil, and the state of indigenous biodiversity and ecosystems. The aim is to provide an overview of condition, and changes over time, to support decision-making at all levels of society.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0http:\/\/www.mfe.govt.nz\/sites\/default\/media\/media\/Environmental%20reporting\/Our-land-2018-at-a-glance-final.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Soil and water resources protection in the changing environment<\/p>\n Zlati\u0107\/Kostadinov (Eds.), Advances in Geoecology Volume 45, Published by Schweizerbart in 2018, 334 pages, 131 figures, 92 tables,\u00a0ISBN\u00a0978-3-510-65418-5 (US-ISBN: 1-59326-267-1), price hardback: 119.00 \u20ac.<\/p>\n This book contains a selection of peer-reviewed contributions to the 3rd Conference of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC), held in Belgrade in Serbia, August 22-26, 2016. The keynote paper documents the current status of soil erosion in Europe in view of a changing climate (Chapter I). Nine papers are devoted to \u201cMechanisms and Processes of Land degradation\u201d (Chapter II), covering models, measurement and rates in various parts of the world.<\/p>\n The volume is of particular interest for all readers involved in resp. interested in soil, landscape and water resources protection and the role climate change and legislative processes play. It offers analysis, facts, new data, suggestions and portrays the current state of recommendations on soil and water resources issues, which are crucial elements in the functioning of environment.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0https:\/\/www.schweizerbart.de\/publications\/detail\/isbn\/9783510654185<\/a><\/p>\n IUSS\u00a0Alerts are e-mailed to people in over 100 countries. Please forward the\u00a0IUSS\u00a0Alerts to your friends and colleagues. Send information for\u00a0IUSS\u00a0Alerts to\u00a0iuss@umweltbundesamt.at The\u00a0IUSS\u00a0is on\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" IUSS\u00a0Bulletin 132 The\u00a0IUSS\u00a0Secretariat (iuss@umweltbundesamt.at) would like to thank all\u00a0IUSS\u00a0members for their contributions to Bulletin No 132 which shall be published online end of June 2018. IUSS\u00a0viewpoints on YouTube In the beginning of each month a Viewpoint on soil issues from the desk of Rattan Lal,\u00a0IUSS\u00a0president, is published on the\u00a0IUSS\u00a0website, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sns_share_botton_hide":"","vkExUnit_sns_title":"","_vk_print_noindex":"","sitemap_hide":"","_veu_custom_css":"","veu_display_promotion_alert":"common","vkexunit_cta_each_option":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-iuss-alerts-2017-2020"],"veu_head_title_object":{"title":"","add_site_title":""},"yoast_head":"\n
\nRead more:\u00a0https:\/\/www.21wcss.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Read more:\u00a0https:\/\/tropicsu.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n
\nJon\u2019s great contribution to soil science was as an internationalist \u2013 bringing soil scientists from all over the world together with common and challenging goals.
\nIn addition to his chairing the\u00a0IUSS\u00a0Working Group on a Universal Soil Classification System,\u00a0he was instrumental in setting up GlobalSoilMap and all the global initiatives that have happened as a consequence of that, including contributing to the establishment and work program of the Global Soil Partnership. He was an inaugural member of the International Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) as well.
\nAfter his retirement Jon rediscovered soils in the field in extremely remote parts of Australia.\u00a0 He did this with an openness and delight in his discoveries.\u00a0 He also added wisdom, experience and history, and good humour to Australia\u2019s tightly knit soil survey community.\u00a0 There is much sadness now in that community.\u00a0He will be greatly missed by his colleagues and friends all over the world!
\n[By Erika Mich\u00e9li, chair of Division 1]<\/i><\/p>\n\n
\n<\/a>[From:\u00a0ASA-CSSA-SSSA\u00a0Science Policy Report, 30 May 2018]<\/p>\n
\nThe UN has warned that the world\u2019s soils face exhaustion and depletion, with an estimated\u00a060 harvests left<\/a>\u00a0before they are too degraded to feed the planet, and a 2014 study in the UK found matters are not much better,\u00a0estimating 100 harvests remaining<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Registration:\u00a0http:\/\/registration.ecologic-events.eu\/recare-policy-conference<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Read more:\u00a0http:\/\/contaminated-sites.sazp.sk\/<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAbstract submission deadline: 18 June<\/p>\n
\nThis second edition of the cookbook provides generic methodologies and technical steps to produce\u00a0SOC\u00a0maps and has been updated with knowledge and practical experiences gained during the implementation process of\u00a0GSOCmap V1.0 throughout 2017. Guidance is mainly specific to\u00a0SOC\u00a0data, but as this cookbook contains generic sections on soil grid development it can be applicable to map various soil properties.<\/p>\n
\nThis document presents key messages and the state-of-the-art of soil pollution, its implications on food safety and human health. The publication has been reviewed by the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soil (ITPS) and contributing authors. It addresses scientific evidences on soil pollution and highlights the need to assess the extent of soil pollution globally in order to achieve food safety and sustainable development. This is linked to\u00a0FAO\u2019s strategic objectives (SO), especially SO1, SO2, SO4 and SO5 because of the crucial role of soils to ensure effective nutrient cycling to produce nutritious and safe food, reduce atmospheric CO2 and N2O concentrations and thus mitigate climate change, develop sustainable soil management practices that enhance agricultural resilience to extreme climate events by reducing soil degradation processes.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.iuss.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Decade_of_Soils-300x109.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>If you would like to receive the monthly\u00a0IUSS\u00a0Alert by email, please subscribe here\u00a0https:\/\/www.iuss.org\/index.php?article_id=685<\/a><\/p>\n